‘We don’t build them like this anymore’: Historical commission greenlights new thematic district in Northwest Philly

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The Philadelphia Historical Commission voted 10-1 on Friday to create a new district comprising 30 apartment buildings in Mount Airy and Germantown near SEPTA’s Chestnut Hill West Line.

Unlike most historic districts, the properties that are part of the Northwest Philadelphia Apartments Thematic Historic District are not contained by a specific set of geographic boundaries. Instead, the buildings have a common history rooted in the city’s regional rail system, which drove a need for more housing in these neighborhoods during the first half of the 20th Century.

In turn, these apartment buildings, built between 1910 and 1940, “brought about a transformation of this area of Philadelphia into a bustling suburb populated in large part by middle-class residents, thus having significant character as part of the development and heritage of the community as well as the city as a whole,” according to the nomination.

“We don’t build them like this anymore, which is why, now that we’re a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, we’re looking back on these as special. But I think they were thought of as special then too, even though a lot of cities were doing the same thing,” added Paul Steinke, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, before Friday’s vote.

The designation comes amid a wave of residential development in Northwest Philadelphia, particularly in Germantown, a neighborhood that saw little to no private investment for decades.

The trend has sparked optimism and caution among residents, some of whom fear the new buildings will help usher in swift gentrification in a section of the city that has historically been accessible to residents with low-to-moderate incomes.

It has also led to the creation of other historic districts. In February, the historical commission approved a nomination for the Germantown Urban Village Historic District, which includes 65 properties spanning more than 250 years of neighborhood history — from its colonial roots through its days as an industrial epicenter.

Like those properties, the buildings in the new thematic district, which range in size from eight units to more than 200 apartments, are now largely protected from demolition. The designation also means that property owners will now be required to get approval from the historical commission before making changes to the exterior of their buildings or performing alterations that require a building permit, among other rules.

The district’s properties include Alden Park Manor on Wissahickon Avenue, Malvern Hall on McCallum Street, Cloverly Park Apartments on West School House Lane, and Germantown Manor on West Hortter Street.

Malvern Hall and Alden Park Manor were already on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. Cresheim Valley Apartments and the Wood Norton Residences were also previously on that list but are now part of the new district as well.

The buildings, a combination of low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise properties, illustrate a wide range of architectural styles, including Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Neoclassical and Italian Renaissance.

More properties may be added to the district in the future. Philadelphia now has five thematic historic districts on the register.

A committee of the historical commission approved the nomination — made by West Mount Airy Neighbors — in November.

During Friday’s meeting, the owners of two apartment buildings asked commissioners to exclude those properties from the district.

Attorney Michael Phillips, who represents the owner of Sedgwick Gardens in West Mt. Airy, argued that the Lindy family, which has owned and operated the building since its construction in 1939, should continue to control the property.

Sedgwick Gardens, said Phillips, “serves as a testament to the Lindy family’s legacy” and should therefore be free to make any alterations to the 65-unit building it deems necessary — without having to consult with the historical commission.

“The building in a sense can be thought of as a family heirloom — akin to a cherished pocket watch that was passed down through the generations,” said Phillips.

City Councilmember Cindy Bass submitted a letter in support of Sedgwick Gardens’ removal from the district.

An owner at Vernon House, a limited equity coop in West Mt. Airy, also urged the commission to keep the property off the district’s list, saying it could impact affordability and potentially result in deferred maintenance of the 48-unit building.

An initial motion excluding the two buildings failed. Commissioners then passed a second motion that included all 30 properties originally nominated as part of the new district.