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Historic Commission greenlights 10-stories on 22nd and Walnut | By Callan Shea

Historic Commission greenlights 10-stories on 22nd and Walnut | By Callan Shea
Architectural rendering of proposed 10-story condos at 2204 Walnut St. Credit: CosciaMoos Architecture

The Philadelphia Historic Commission (PHC) held its monthly meeting this past Friday, September 9th, 2022. The 5-member board, led by chair Bob Thomas, identifies and protects the City’s historic resources. The Mayor appoints the commissioners, who are supported by a full-time staff and three advisory committees.

Construction Approvals: 10-stories coming to 22nd and Walnut

A 10-story, 29-condo building proposed at 2204 Walnut Street sought demolition & construction approval and ultimately prevailed against some neighborhood organizing against height, construction noise, and parking. Extensive public comment was submitted by Saint James Place Residents and Neighbors.

The relative height of proposed 2204 Walnut Street Credit: CosciaMoos Architecture

"While we support the development of the corridor of Walnut Street in our neighborhood, we oppose the project as proposed..." the group wrote. They continued to request more modifications to the plan prior to approval - including height reductions. While this parcel does not sit on the uniquely pedestrianized block known as St. James Place, near Rittenhouse and Fitler Square, it is proximate.

Additional skepticism came from Paul Stankie of Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia stating his group isn’t opposed but isn’t thrilled about the building. David Traub of Save our Sites believed the building was too tall, the design hasn’t been studied enough, and created bad sight lines now on St. James. “I don’t think it’s out of scale,” Coscia said. “Look across the street at the gas station, why don’t you do something about that? That’s what’s killing the pedestrian experience. We’re trying to improve it.”

Ultimately, the construction on the RMX-3 zoned parcel in Rittenhouse was approved via roll call vote, 6-3.

Historic Designation Approvals: Bella Vista's new historic church

The First Italian Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia on 1010 S 10th Street in Bella Vista was placed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. Church Elder Doug Thomas & lawyer David Gest were tacitly onboard but presented that the Church was afraid of potential financial hardships that historic designation could cause for their small congregation. Chair Thomas promised the PHC maintains plenty of resources and opportunities to ease financial difficulties.

The church's significance dates to the inflow of Italian immigrants that settled in South Philadelphia's Little Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The property embodies an outreach attempt from the Philadelphia Presbytery to shift Italian immigrants away from Catholicism to ease assimilation into American culture, according to the historic nomination.

First Italian Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia in 2021 Credit: 1010 S 10th St Nomination

Comments on Federal Nominations

The state-wide Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission asked the PHC for their comments on three proposed nominations for the national register. They supported all the nominations without comment and no members of the public spoke.

The Blumenthal Brother Chocolate Factory at 2201-21 Margaret St. During the 1920s, Blumenthal developed candies like Goobers, Raisinets, and Sno-caps specifically for the growing movie theater business, making these products familiar to millions of movie-going Americans for decades after. The period of significance begins in 1922, when the present factory was completed, and ends in 1969 when Blumenthal Brothers sold the business and ceased to control the company.


Zion Baptist Church and Educational Annex at 3600 and 3601-07 N Broad St. Church was led by the Reverend Leon H. Sullivan, the nationally influential civil rights leader and social activist who led the church from 1950 until his retirement in 1988. Sullivan’s lifelong commitment to racial justice through economic advancement brought the hope of equal opportunity not just to his congregation, but to Philadelphia’s broader African American community and to disadvantaged groups across the country. Zion Baptist Church is also a major ecclesiastical work in the Modern style by Philadelphia’s most prominent Black architect of the post-war period, Walter R. Livingston, Jr. The period of significance begins in 1969, the year the congregation acquired the Annex. It ends in 1988 when Sullivan’s tenure as pastor ended. The period of significance for the Architecture is 1973, the year Zion Baptist Church was completed.

Penn Asylum for Indigent Widows and Single Women at 1401 E Susquehanna Ave. Penn Asylum is an early and important example of a nineteenth-century, endowed, voluntary, philanthropic institution built specifically to house and care for single and widowed women in reduced economic circumstances. The institution was founded by four local women in 1848 and, although unusual for the time, run entirely by women and non-denominational. The Penn Asylum retains its integrity, as both the overall form and defining institutional characteristics remain intact since the last period of major construction in 1958. The Period of Significance begins in 1858 when Penn Asylum moved into the existing buildings and ends in 1991 when the institution amended its charter to allow men to be admitted as residents. The property was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 2020.