Awbury Historic District

Last updated

Awbury Historic District
Phila 1AwburyRoad10.png
Francis Cope House
Street map of Philadelphia and surrounding area.png
Red pog.svg
USA Pennsylvania location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationRoughly bounded by Chew Ave., Avonhoe Rd., Devon PL., Haines and Ardleigh Sts. and Arboretum boundary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 40°3′6″N75°10′14″W / 40.05167°N 75.17056°W / 40.05167; -75.17056
Area78 acres (32 ha)
Built1849
Architectmultiple
Architectural styleGothic Revival, Italian Villa, et al.
NRHP reference No. 01000462 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 2, 2001
Designated PRHPMay 14, 2010 [2]

The Awbury Historic District is a historic area in the East Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [3] [4] It encompasses the former summer homes and farms of the extended Cope family, who moved to the area starting in 1849 and the entire Awbury Arboretum, which occupies most of the district's area, as well as adjacent properties developed and occupied by Henry Cope (1793-1865), son and successor to prominent Philadelphia Orthodox Quaker merchant Thomas Pym Cope (1768-1854), his close relatives, and his descendants. The district, which has been described by Philadelphia area historians as "visually distinct from the densely-built urban blocks that surround it on three sides, and from the level, open landscape of the city park to the northwest," features buildings which were designed in the Gothic Revival, Italian Villa, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Shingle, and Colonial Revival styles of architecture between 1849 and 1922. [2]

Contents

This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. [5] In 2010 it was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. [2]

History and architectural features

The Awbury Historic District in Philadelphia's East Germantown neighborhood encompasses the former summer homes and farms of the extended Cope family, who moved to the area starting in 1849, as well as the entire Awbury Arboretum, which occupies most of the district's area. In addition, it also includes properties which were developed and occupied by Henry Cope (1793-1865), son of the prominent Philadelphia Orthodox Quaker merchant Thomas Pym Cope (1768-1854). An irregularly shaped district, its boundaries are described as follows by the City of Philadelphia's list of historic districts: [2]

"Beginning at the northwest corner of Ardleigh Street and E. Washington Lane, the boundary moves southeast along Ardleigh Street to the rear property lines of the homes on the northwestern corner of Ardleigh and E. Haines Streets; then travels southwest along the rear of properties of E. Haines Street; then travels along the eastern, southern, and western property lines of 999 E. Haines street; then travels southwest to Devon Place; then travels along Devon Place and the front property lines of 5913-23 and 5925-31 Devon Places; then travels north to the rear property lines of the houses on Devon Place; then travels southwest, then south, and then southeast along the rear of the property lines along Devon Place to E. Haines Street; then travels southwest along E. Haines Street to the northern corner of Avonhoe Road; then travels north and west along Avonhoe Road to the northeast corner of the property at 6060 Avonhoe road; then travels along the eastern and southern property lines of 6060 Avonhoe Road and comes to Chew Avenue; then travels southwest on High Street until it reaches the SEPTA R7 railroad line; then travels along the eastern edge of the railroad line, crosses Washington Lane, and reaches the northwestern corner of the Awbry Arboretum property line; then travels northeast along the rear of the properties of the 900 and 1000 E. Washington Lane to Ardleigh Street; then travels southeast along Ardleigh Street to the point of origin."

"Visually distinct from the densely-built urban blocks" and open, city park landscape around it, this district's structures were designed between 1849 and 1922 in Gothic Revival, Italian Villa, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Shingle, and Colonial Revival styles of architecture. [2]

The grounds of the Awbury Arboretum were designed by William Saunders, the prominent landscape architect who designed the Gettysburg National Cemetery and helped to design Fairmount Park. A Victorian-style garden was also created near the Francis Cope House through the joint efforts of the Philadelphia Garden Club and the Weeders Garden Club. [6]

Placement of this district on the National Register of Historic Places

In August 2000, Philadelphia area newspapers reported that representatives of the Awbury Arboretum had submitted the necessary paperwork to initiate the creation of the Awbury Historic District and secure its placement on the National Register of Historic Places. [7] That paperwork was then reviewed for its suitability for the NRHP by Pennsylvania's Historic Preservation Board at its March 13, 2001 meeting at 9:45 a.m. at the State Museum in Harrisburg. Also considered for NRHP status at this time were the: Protection of the Flag Monument in Athens, Pennsylvania; Normandy Farm, George K. Heller School, and Upper Roxborough Historic District in Montgomery County; Harris/Laird, Schober & Company Building in Philadelphia; Michael Derstine Farmstead in Bucks County; Chester Heights Camp Meeting Historic District in Delaware County; John Nicholas and Elizabeth Moyer House in Berks County; William Shelly School and Annex in York County; and the Zeta Psi Fraternity House in Northampton County. [8] This district was then officially added to the National Register in May 2001, an achievement that was recognized on September 23 of that year with a day of free educational activities for the public, including tours of several of the district's most prominent homes. [9]

This district was then also officially added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 2010. [2]

Contributing properties

There are 31 contributing buildings, including 24 homes, as well as other buildings.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germantown, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Germantown is an area in Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded by Palatine, Quaker, and Mennonite families in 1683 as an independent borough, it was absorbed into Philadelphia in 1854. The area, which is about six miles northwest from the city center, now consists of two neighborhoods: 'Germantown' and 'East Germantown'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Although there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and the SEPTA Media/Wawa Line to the south. An alternate definition includes all city land west of the Schuylkill; this would also include Southwest Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. The eastern side of West Philadelphia is also known as University City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Awbury Arboretum</span>

Awbury Arboretum is a nonprofit arboretum and estate located at 1 Awbury Road in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its grounds are open daily without charge. Established in 1916, it then became a nonprofit organization in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colonial Germantown Historic District</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Colonial Germantown Historic District is a designated National Historic Landmark District in the Germantown and Mount Airy neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania along both sides of Germantown Avenue. This road followed a Native American path from the Delaware River just north of Old City Philadelphia, through Germantown, about 6 miles northwest of Center City Philadelphia, and on to Pottstown. Settlement in the Germantown area began, at the invitation of William Penn, in 1683 by Nederlanders and Germans under the leadership of Francis Daniel Pastorius fleeing religious persecution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitney Avenue Historic District</span> Historic district in Connecticut, United States

The Whitney Avenue Historic District is a historic district in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. It is a 203-acre (82 ha) district which included 1,084 contributing buildings when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mill Street–North Clover Street Historic District</span> Historic district in New York, United States

The Mill Street–North Clover Street Historic District is located along those streets and Main Street in western Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. It is an irregularly-shaped area of 27 acres (11 ha) between US 9 and downtown Poughkeepsie, located on the slope up from the Hudson River. There are roughly 139 historic buildings, and very few new ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut Hill Historic District (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Chestnut Hill Historic District is a historic area covering all the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Side Historic District (Saratoga Springs, New York)</span> Historic district in New York, United States

The East Side Historic District is a primarily residential neighborhood located to the east of downtown Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It is an irregularly shaped area 114 acres (46 ha) in size, extending almost to Saratoga Race Course from the neighborhood of Congress Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water Street District</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Water Street District, a large part of downtown Lock Haven in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, is a historic district added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1973. The district includes the city's entire central business district as well as many homes and churches constructed in the 19th century, especially during the Victorian era. An inventory of the district in 1973 listed more than 365 historic resources, many of which were associated with wealth created by the lumber industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamnett Historic District</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

Hamnett Historic District is a historic district in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. Bordered roughly by Rebecca Avenue, the rear property lines on the east side of Center Street, Sewer Way, and Lytle Way, it encompasses 77 buildings and 114 acres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Shelly School and Annex</span> United States historic place

The William Shelly School and Annex, also known as the Eberton School, is a historic school building and annex located in West York, York County, Pennsylvania. Built circa 1897, the Shelly Annex was initially designed as a one-room school, but was then enlarged twice between 1898 and 1903 to become a 2 1/2-story, gable roofed brick building which is three bays wide and seven bays deep. Built between 1905 and 1908, the Shelly School was designed in the Italian Renaissance style, and is a two-story brick structure which is nine bays wide and seven bays deep. Completely rebuilt following a fire in 1919, the property was sold in 1960; the buildings were then utilized as storage facilities for the next 37 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protection of the Flag Monument</span> United States historic place

The Protection of the Flag Monument is a historic war memorial located in Academy Park at 715 South Main Street in Athens, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Designed in the Classical Revival style by the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, with a sculpture by George Thomas Brewster, it was erected between 1900 and 1902, and has a granite pedestal topped by a bronze sculpture group. The sculpture depicts an adult soldier and a young drummer boy attired in Revolutionary War clothing and protecting their flag from falling into enemy hands. A commemorative plaque indicates it was dedicated in memory of the soldiers who fought in defense of the flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester Heights Camp Meeting Historic District</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Chester Heights Camp Meeting Historic District is a historic Methodist camp meeting and national historic district located in Chester Heights, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 101 contributing buildings, which were designed in the vernacular camp meeting style of architecture; additional notable examples of the Gothic Revival and Queen Anne styles also are present here. Public buildings include the contributing Tabernacle (1878), Dining Hall (1900), Youth Tabernacle (1909, and dormitory. Most of the contributing buildings are cottages, which were built roughly between 1876 and 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horace Jayne House</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

Horace Jayne House (1895) is an architecturally significant building designed by architect Frank Furness in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the southwest corner of 19th and Delancey Streets, about a block south of Rittenhouse Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Freight Shed</span> United States historic place

The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Freight Shed is an historic freight station in the Southwest Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along Broad Street. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 and is today part of the Lincoln Square mixed-use development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Nicholas and Elizabeth Moyer House</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

The John Nicholas and Elizabeth Moyer House, also known as Richland, is a historic home located in Jefferson Township in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Built circa 1817, it is a 2+12-story, four-over-four stone dwelling. A stone summer kitchen, which was built between 1818 and 1820, is attached to the rear. Frame additions were added in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Gilchrist</span>

Edmund Beaman Gilchrist was an American architect, best remembered for his English-Cotswold and French-Norman suburban houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girard Avenue</span> Major commercial and residential street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Girard Avenue is a major commercial and residential street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For most of its length it runs east–west, but at Frankford Avenue it makes a 135-degree turn north. Parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Street Historic District</span> Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, neighborhood

The Christian Street Historic District is an historic district located along Christian Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is also known as Black Doctors' Row. The narrow district extends approximately six city blocks, from the 1400 block of Christian Street to the intersection of Christian Street with 20th Street. Its width is one block on either side of Christian Street, extending to Montrose Street and Webster Street. It is within the area known as South Philadelphia and the neighborhood known as Graduate Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Cope House</span>

The Francis Cope House is a historic building located on the grounds of the Awbury Arboretum in the U.S. city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nowadays it is a rentable space, owned by Awbury Arboretum.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "PRHP: List of historic districts". Philadelphia Historical Commission. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  3. Cooperman, Emily T. and Cory Kegerise. "Historic Districts in Philadelphia: An assessment of existing information and recommendations for future action." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Prepared by the Cultural Resource Consulting Group for the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, January 9, 2007, pp. 12, 42, 47, and 50.
  4. "National Register of Historic Places," in "State Program News: Bureau for Historic Preservation, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission," in Preserving Pennsylvania: The Newsletter of Preservation Pennsylvania, Inc. Archived June 24, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , Vol. 15, No. 1-2, Winter 2000, p. 5.
  5. Awbury Historic District, in "Historical and Museum Commission: National Register Nominations to be Considered by the Historic Preservation Board," in Pennsylvania Bulletin, Vol. 31, No. 6, February 10, 2001, p. 893. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, retrieved online October 12, 2019.
  6. "Festivities to mark new historic district." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer," September 14, 2011, p. 82.
  7. "Awbury Arboretum petitions for a seal of distinction." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 31, 2000, p. 29.
  8. Awbury Historic District, in "Historical and Museum Commission: National Register Nominations to be Considered by the Historic Preservation Board," Pennsylvania Bulletin, Vol. 31, No. 6, February 10, 2001, p. 893.
  9. "Festivities to mark new historic district," The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 14, 2001, p. 82.