2023 Architectural Hall of Fame Finalists

Residential

Casey Ice House (aka Willets Studio)

7900-06 Lincoln Drive aka 225 W Springfield Avenue  (1843; alterations in 1913, 1924, H. Louis Duhring)

H. Louis Duhring, architect, in 1913 and again in 1924, converted the icehouse into three dwellings and gave the building its present Mediterranean influenced appearance. Duhring designed alterations again in 1925 and 1933. William Henry Parker, designed the attached garage and several alterations in 1940. Kneedler, Mirick & Zantzinger, architects, designed additional alterations in 1959. One of the most prominent examples of adaptive reuse in Chestnut Hill, Dr. Woodward originally had the ice house building converted into a dwelling and workspace for Henry Willet of Willet Stained Glass Studies in 1913 and after Willet outgrew the space, cut the workshop into two more living spaces.

Tudor twins on 200 block of East Highland Avenue

202-244 East Highland Avenue (1916, Andrew Charles Borzner)

In 1916 developer and contractor John Craig engaged architect Andrew Charles Borzner to design 22 stone and stuccoed brick dwellings. These twins are grouped into mirroring pairs, with curved and straight bay windows, front sunroom, and parking underneath. Residents describe that the close nature of the houses has made for close relationships with those who live on the block. Also in 1916, Borzner began publishing a series of volumes entitled The Book of Beautiful Homes which offered moderately priced residential designs. Borzner later worked as an architect for the Bethlehem Steel Co., the Budd Manufacturing Co., and the Cramp Shipbuilding Co..

Lorenzon House

7827 Ardleigh Street (1926, H. Louis Duhring, Emil Lorenzon)

In 1926 Emil Lorenzon built this house for his family. Emilio was one of five Lorenzon brothers who came to Chestnut Hill in 1896-1906 from the northern Italian town of Poffabro. The brothers, like many in Poffabro, had been trained by their father as skilled stonemasons. The Lorenzon family was among the most prominent of the Italian stonemasons during one of Chestnut Hill’s greatest periods of growth, and the family remains involved in the building trades to this day. This home is a beautiful example of their care and craftsmanship. The lush produce garden originally tended by Emil’s widowed mother was replaced in 1932 by a widened Springfield Avenue.

“Homewood” 9002 Crefeld Street

9002 Crefeld Street (1929-30, Tilden, Register & Pepper; 1949, Office of Horace Trumbauer)

Homewood was built in 1929-30 for prominent Philadelphia attorney Schofield Andrews by the firm. Homewood is distinct from the Wissahickon Schist structures more common in the area, with random-patterned brown stone structures organized around a large, square courtyard whose front wall borders the street. The Norman-style country house is situated on 5 acres adjoining Wissahickon Park. Eleanor Widener Dixon purchased the estate in 1949, engaging the office of Horace Trumbauer to design extensive alterations including the installation of Tudor-period wood paneling salvaged from Dixon’s Elkins Park estate Ronaele (Eleanor backwards) Manor reported to have been obtained from the hunting lodge of King James I.  The property has been lovingly restored and updated by its recent owners.

Institutional

Our Mother Of Consolation (OMC) Complex

7-27 East Chestnut Hill Avenue (1855-1916, Edwin Durang, John J. Kennedy)

In 1854, John Middleton, a wealthy Quaker who had recently converted to Catholicism, determined that Chestnut Hill should have a Catholic church. At that time, many of the community’s house staff were recent immigrants from Ireland and other Catholic countries. Amidst considerable anti-Catholic opposition from some in the community, in 1855 Bishop Neumann blessed the new church and rectory, officially named St. Mary’s. In the late 1860’s, the parish changed its name from St. Mary’s to St. Mary – Our Lady of Consolation, which evolved to Our Mother of Consolation in the late 1870’s. A new parish hall and school were completed in 1888, and a larger more modern rectory and school were built in 1904 (Edwin Durang, architect) and 1916 (John J. Kennedy, architect), respectively. The school suffered a devastating fire on March 21, 2023 that took the roof but left much of the stone structure. Although the installation of a Catholic church almost produced a riot 160 years ago, it – like the fire-damaged school building – remains a strong force in the community

VFW Post #5205

8217 Germantown Avenue (1859)

Built in 1859, 8217-19 Germantown Avenue’s original primary tenant was Hiram Lodge No. 81, Free and Accepted Masons, which occupied the third floor. Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church used the second floor for worship services until they opened their own church at 8300 Germantown in 1871, and a grocery store occupied the first floor. With membership high, including veterans of both World Wars, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5205 raised enough money to purchase the building in 1950. By 1966, the VFW planned to remove the building’s third floor to address deteriorating stucco, woodwork and roof conditions. These plans changed when community activist Ann Spaeth published a letter in the Chestnut Hill Local, resulting in substantial funding raised through public contributions toward the building’s restoration. The restoration of the building played a critical role in the formation of the Chestnut Hill Historical Society (now the Chestnut Hill Conservancy) in 1967. The VFW substantially renovated the building in a campaign that began in 2018.

Pastorius Park

Bounded by Abington Avenue,  Millman Streets, Roanoke Street, and houses on Navajo Street, Sunrise Lane, Lincoln Drive, and Shawnee Street (1937, Frederick W. G. Peck)

Named for Francis Pastorius, a German-born Quaker who founded Germantown in 1683, Pastorius Park was conceived in the early 1910s by George Woodward, influenced by his visit to Hyde Park in London. The land that comprises the present-day park was donated by Woodwardbut languished for over 20 years, until the Fairmount Park Commission hired landscape architect Frederick W. G. Peck to develop a design for the Park. Woodward was pleased with the design and funded materials for the construction of the Park and its improvements being executed by the Works Progress Administration in 1937. Peck’s design reflected Woodward’s vision as a passive, reflective space. Since then, the Park has been restored several times with the help of the community, including the Chestnut Hill Community Association and Friends of Pastorius Park. Today, the Park remains true to its original design and the original vision of George Woodward.

Commercial and Public

Mermaid Inn

7673 Germantown Avenue aka 7671-7673 Winston Road (1913, Koeller and Speth)

The early history of this local landmark is quite murky; the original Inn is believed to have been built in 1734 and would have been an important stop for weary travelers making the trek between the City of Philadelphia and cities to the north and west, including Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and Reading. It appears to have remained largely unaltered until Winston Road was opened. This required the demolition of the original inn, and its reconstruction in 1913 at a new location just northeast of the original site. The new version of the Inn was designed by Koeller and Speth, and it has been suggested that elements of the original Inn were incorporated into the new building.

Germantown Trust Company (aka Wells Fargo Bank)

8527 Germantown Avenue (1928, Arthur H. Brockie)

Germantown Trust Company’s Chestnut Hill Branch relocated in 1928 to its newly constructed building at 8527 Germantown Avenue at Evergreen Avenue. This was the site where Gilles Oyster, Game, and Fish Market formerly stood. Architect Arthur H. Brockie designed this building, as well as the Chestnut Hill Title & Trust Company (now PNC), the Germantown Trust Building in Germantown, several notable Chestnut Hill residences, and many other buildings in Philadelphia. The bank was most recently used as the Chestnut Hill Branch for Wells Fargo Bank, and before that held the First Pennsylvania Banking and Trust Company aka CoreStates Bank. This building was altered in 1959, 1972, and more recently when Wells Fargo installed a concrete entrance ramp one dark October evening in 2017. Approaching its 100th anniversary, the building was vacated in 2023 and is now for sale.

Valley Green Inn

7 Valley Green Road at Wissahickon Creek (ca. 1850, 1937)

Circa 1850, Thomas Livezey rented Edward Rinker the site of what is now Valley Green Inn, to build his Valley Green Hotel. At Rinker’s hotel, a traditional dinner of catfish and waffles was served, as was customary in other hotels along the Wissahickon Creek in the 19th century. With the growing city and industrialization, the City realized its water supply needed protecting, and many structures along the Creek were demolished, with the vacant land being incorporated into Fairmount Park. As the 19th century progressed, the building languished and its demolition was considered. Locals including Charles W. Henry and others fundraised, and raised over $1200 for its restoration. This was completed in 1901, and the old hotel became known as the Valley Green Inn. Additional restorations were made in the mid-1930s with the help of the Friends of the Wissahickon, and the Inn was rededicated in 1937. Since then, the Inn has been run with the support of the Friends of the Wissahickon. The artifacts displayed throughout the Inn have been cataloged by the Curator and Archivist of the Chestnut Hill Conservancy.