Buildings in Fishtown and West Philly recommended for historic designation

The committee actually had two historic nominations for Lancaster Mews, an intact row of brick houses with storefronts at 36th Street and Lancaster Ave. in Powelton Village. In the spring, the Inquirer reported that the row, which dates to the 1870s, was threatened by an early-stages development proposal that would have brought the buildings down and replaced them with student housing. The buildings have been consolidated into a single tax parcel, enabling the site’s demolition and possible redevelopment, and enabling a singular nomination for the entire row.

After hearing about the threat, the city started working on its own nomination for the buildings. Jon Farnham, the director of the Historical Commission, personally authored a nomination for the row. Powelton Village Civic Association, which had apparently been talking about protecting the buildings for years, also prepared a nomination.

On Wednesday, the committee voted to recommend the row for historic designation. It punted on the issue of deciding which of the two nominations to accept. The full Commission can accept one or both nominations, but Farnham said having two nominations on record could lead to some potential enforcement complications.

Earlier this week, George Poulin of PVCA wrote about Lancaster Mews and the development context in the neighborhood for Eyes on the Street.

The committee also recommended designation for:

• A Frank Furness-designed house at the corner of York and Sepviva in Fishtown,

• The rectory at St. Alban’s church in Roxborough,

• Byberry Cemetery, an African-American cemetery in Northeast Philadelphia,

• and a portion of Satterlee Heights, a late-19th Century development at 43rd and Osage in West Philadelphia.

The committee also recommended designation of First African Baptist Church, at 16th and Christian streets, which PlanPhilly reported yesterday.