Joe Frazier’s Endangered Gym

The gym on North Broad where boxing legend Smokin’ Joe Frazier trained to fight Muhammad Ali closed in 2008. While Frazier’s name is still visible on the facade, the building’s only use is a furniture outlet on the ground floor. But Joe Frazier’s Gym has captured the attention of the local and national preservation community.

Today the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced the inclusion of Joe Frazier’s Gym on North Broad on its list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

Temple University students have been working on a nomination to add the building to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places to add a layer of protection for the property, and the hope is to list it in the National Register as well. Now that the building is for sale again, advocates hope to identify a preservation-minded buyer for the building.

The Preservation Alliance called attention to the gym’s vulnerability by including it on its 2011 Endangered Properties list.

The last time a Philadelphia property was included on the National Trust’s list of Endangered Historic Places was The Boyd Theatre in 2008.

For more on this story, stay tuned for Alan Jaffe’s piece on PlanPhilly later today.