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Updates from Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance
| | Newsletters provide quarterly updates about YFPA events and initiatives. For more up-to-date notifications, please remember to follow YFPA on Facebook and Instagram. | | |
The Francis R. Strawbridge House
This year’s YFPA Heart-showering candidate, the Francis R. Strawbridge House, was named to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 2015. However, it has sat neglected for many years on the Alden Park campus in Germantown. On February 15, YFPA was joined by community members to decorate the house with valentines and draw attention to its importance and deterioration.
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Also in this update:
• Upcoming YFPA Events
• Event Recaps
• Member Spotlights
• Preservation News Roundup
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The house, facing Wissahickon Avenue, was the residence of Francis R. Strawbridge, son of Justice C. Strawbridge, co-founder of the department store Strawbridge & Clothier. Built in 1905 by Stacy Reeves & Sons, designed by the firm Brockie & Hastings, it stands as a prime example of Colonial Revival architecture in Philadelphia. This house witnessed the birth of all of Francis’s children, most notably G. Stockton Strawbridge, who played a significant role in the growth of the Strawbridge business.
At one point, the Strawbridges owned a large estate at the junction of School House Lane and Wissahickon Avenue. The Francis R. Strawbridge House is the last building with ties to the Strawbridge’s Legacy in Germantown.
On Saturday, February 15, the YFPA was joined by community members to shower the house with valentines and draw attention to its neglect. YFPA is calling the management at Alden Park to be stewards in caring for and restoring this important piece of Philadelphia history.
To learn more about the Strawbridge House, read the nomination by Oscar Beisert in 2015.
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Building Ghosts - 2025 Young Friend’s Award Winner
Building Ghosts: Past Lives and Lost Places in a Changing City (Temple University Press, November 2024) by Molly Lester and Michael Bixler has been selected to receive the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance Award. This award is voted on by the leadership committee of the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance. It is presented to a young project or professional to recognize innovative preservation achievement in Greater Philadelphia.
Building Ghosts won this year's award through its exceptional storytelling and innovative approach to documenting Philadelphia's built landscape. “Building ghosts” are the idiosyncratic remnants or imprints of demolished buildings, left behind on the sides of neighboring structures. Mostly seen in older Northeastern cities with rowhomes or party-wall adjacencies, they can reveal remarkable things, such as an old staircase going up the side of a building or plaster traces left by a set of shelves in an attic gable. As history in our changing cities is erased and remade, these ghosts can be ephemeral or enduring. They can be quickly revealed and replaced in a neighborhood seeing rapid change, or unveiled and never re-covered in a neighborhood that has not seen new construction in a long time.
Attend the 2025 Preservation Achievement Awards on Wednesday, June 4, at the Bellevue! Learn more here.
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Upcoming YFPA Events
Follow along with us on Instagram @yfpaphilly for updates!
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Spring Volunteer Day at Lynnewood Hall
Join YFPA on Saturday, May 4, for a spring cleaning day at Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park.
Under the direction of Tyler Schumacher, Site Manager at Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation and YFPA Steering Committee member, volunteers will assist in cleaning the interior by sweeping, dusting, and mopping after the site has been dormant in the winter. No experience is necessary, just enthusiasm!
When: Saturday, May 3, 10 AM - 4 PM
Where: Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park
Cost: Free
Register: https://25017.blackbaudhosting.com/25017/YFPA-Work-Day-at-Lynnewood
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So You Want to Buy an Old House?
In January, YFPA hosted a virtual panel discussion geared towards new and prospective buyers of older homes. With much of the housing stock over 100 years old, buying an old house comes with unique challenges and considerations to ensure both comfort and continued longevity of the building. The panel featured professionals with expertise in real estate, restoration, architecture, and home inspections to discuss their experiences and get your questions answered. It featured tips and tricks for buying, maintaining, and restoring older homes with sensitivity, practicality, and an eye for preservation.
Watch the recording here.
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Preservation Alliance Winter Speaker Series Features YFPA Award Winners
Last year’s YFPA Award winner, the 1838 Black Metropolis, participated in the Preservation Alliance’s Winter Speaker Series, where they presented a lecture on using the primary sources such as history books, newspapers, estate papers, wills, city directories and minute books from historical archives to pinpoint houses that served as Underground Railroad sites and the location Beneficial Hall, which was burned down in a mob attack. The 1838 Black Metropolis project focuses on reviving the memory of the Black histories of Antebellum Philadelphia. As the Philadelphia grid has stayed relatively stable, and due to historical preservation efforts, many of the homes of Black Philadelphians of the era that are mentioned in primary historical documents and archives remain standing. This includes William and Letitia Still’s home, leaders of the Underground Railroad.
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The winners of this year’s YFPA Award, Molly Lester and Michael Bixler, also gave a lecture that discussed their new book, Building Ghosts: Past Lives and Lost Places in a Changing City (Temple University Press, November 2024) and the ghosts that reveal new truths and provocations about the changing city.
March Open Meeting
YFPA held its annual General Membership Meeting on Thursday, March 13, at Penn’s Center for Architectural Conservation. As YFPA kicks off its steering committee recruitment season, this was an opportunity to learn more about the group, share your ideas, and find out how to get involved.
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Recruitment - SC Applications Open until April 7th!
YFPA is searching for new, passionate, collaborative Steering Committee members to help plan engaging events, advocacy initiatives, and social gatherings that celebrate and protect historic places.
Applications are now open through tomorrow, April 7, at 5 PM! Bring your passion for preservation and making an impact!
Apply now!
Greg Prichard - Public Service Award
Former YFPA Steering Committee Member, Greg Prichard, will be recognized with the Public Service Award for preservation in the public interest at the 2025 Preservation Achievement Awards! Greg, the Historic Preservation Planner for Lower Merion Township, has significantly advanced historic preservation in the municipality since his hiring nearly a decade ago. He has not only alleviated staff burden but also prioritized preservation through initiatives such as a historic plaque program, a GIS-based inventory, and securing state grants. Beyond his official role, Greg fosters public trust in preservation, cultivates strong relationships with stakeholders, and shares his expertise through lectures, making his contributions impactful and deserving of recognition.
Attend the 2025 Preservation Achievement Awards on Wednesday, June 4, at the Bellevue! Learn more: https://preservationalliance.com/preservation-achievement-awards/
SC Members on the PAGP Special Recognition Awards Advisory Committee
Two YFPA Steering Committee members, Kevin Block and Tyler Ray, were invited to serve on the Preservation Achievement Award’s Special Recognition Awards Advisory Committee, which reviews the nominations of individuals and organizations whose extraordinary accomplishments in preservation contribute to the region’s unique character and sense of place.
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