Philadelphia register of historic places

All properties in a district are listed on the Philadelphia Register and alterations and proposals for demolition require the approval of the Historical Commission. Historic districts must meet the same type of criteria as individual historic resources. Individual buildings and districts can also be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

To be listed on the National Register individual historic resources or districts must also meet specified criteria including association with significant events or with the lives of significant persons; representative of an important architectural style or designed by a prominent architect.

Both individual buildings and buildings in districts must be 50 years of age or older. Listing on the National Register does not require review of property changes by city, state or federal agencies. Some neighborhoods may not have the historic significance or architectural quality to qualify as an historic district but may have such a consistency of architectural character that they can be protected as Conservation Districts.

Conservation Districts primarily regulate the character of new construction according to guidelines established by the neighborhood to ensure that new construction is compatible in scale and character with the existing character of the neighborhood. Thus far, Queen Village is the only conservation district in Philadelphia, but legislation exists to allow other neighborhoods to be so designated with design guidelines to protect the specific character of each neighborhood.

Many neighborhoods have been the site of an historic event or a place where a prominent person once lived or worked.

The locations of such events or places associated with people — even if the actual places no longer exist — can be noted by the placement of a state historical marker. Historical markers are designated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Historical markers in Philadelphia identify locations associated with a wide variety of people and events, including the house in which Marian Anderson lived in South Philadelphia, the location where Martin Luther King Jr.

When needed, they forward applications to the appropriate committee. The staff:. COVID vaccine. The vaccine is available to everyone 12 and older!

Find a City-run vaccine clinic or partner vaccine clinic to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you have questions about vaccination, call Home Philadelphia Historical Commission.

Meetings with contractors in the field are available by appointment only. Please see our summary of how to conduct business remotely with the Historical Commission. A meeting of the Architectural Committee will be held on Tuesday, October 26, at a. To learn how to participate, view the meeting agendas and the remote meeting FAQS. Together with its advisory committees, the commission: Identifies and designates historic landmarks. Maintains the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

Hosts public meetings about historic properties. The Commission has also developed internal guidelines to evaluate specific conditions common in Philadelphia. To help property owners understand and successfully complete the historical review process, the Preservation Alliance publishes a free guide, How To Navigate the Historical Review Process in Philadelphia.

What is listed? How do you know if a property is included on the Philadelphia Register? The Philadelphia Historical Commission maintains an online spreadsheet of designated properties. The Preservation Alliance has also developed an interactive map that includes individually designated properties and historic districts.

Please note: this map is not an official record of the Philadelphia Register and is presented for illustrative purposes only. To confirm whether a property is listed, please contact the Philadelphia Historical Commission directly. Listing on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places is not the same as listing on the National Register of Historic Places or inclusion in a local conservation district , nor are sites with blue Pennsylvania historical markers necessarily listed on the Philadelphia Register.

Click on the links above for more information on these other programs. The Philadelphia Register of Historic Places is a list of buildings, structures, sites, objects, districts, and public interiors that have been recognized by the Philadelphia Historical Commission for their architectural or historic significance.