The Philadelphia Historical Commission recently voted to approve the creation of a new thematic district in Northwest Philadelphia, writes Aaron Moselle for WHYY.
The new district comprises of 30 apartment buildings in Mount Airy and Germantown, near SEPTA’s Chestnut Hill West Line.
These properties differ from those of most other historic districts because they are not contained by a specific set of geographic boundaries. On the contrary, the buildings have a common history rooted in the city’s regional rail system.
According to the nomination, the apartment buildings, which were built between 1910 and 1940, transformed this area of the city and turned it into a suburb populated largely by middle-class residents.
“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 last week’s vote.
Given this approval, Philadelphia now has five thematic historic districts and more properties may be added in the future.
Read more about Philly’s newest thematic district in WHYY.
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