On Sept. 13, the Philadelphia Historical Commission (PHC) voted 9–0 to approve the creation of the Washington Square West Historic District, spanning 26 blocks between Walnut and Lombard Streets and 8th and Juniper Streets. Nearly 1,500 residential, commercial, and religious properties fall within the boundaries of the new district, the largest in the city. 

“Philadelphia, both in terms of what's occurred here, but also in terms of our built environment, is one of the most historic cities in the country, if not the world,” says Robert Thomas, a preservation architect at Campbell Thomas & Co. and Chair of the PHC. Independence Hall which was even designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. 

In the city that birthed the nation, the PHC oversees several dozen historic districts and plays a number of preservation–related roles. “I see one as recognizing the resources which really are deserving of recognition and protection, but the other is to help guide development,” says Thomas. “We want to make certain that we're meeting certain standards so that things are a contribution to what's there and not a detriment.” 

Anyone can nominate a building, site, district, or even a significant public interior—such as 30th Street Station—to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. In historically designated districts, demolition becomes difficult and property owners have to get approval from the PHC before making changes to the exterior of their building or undertaking construction projects that require a Building Permit. These protections now apply to Washington Square Wes 

The nomination was first submitted back in 2009, in a collaborative effort between a group of neighbors and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, an advocacy organization concerned with protecting historic places. At the time, it failed to gain the necessary traction. According to Hanna Stark, Director of Policy and Communications at the Preservation Alliance, historic district proposals weren’t being considered at all in the early 2000s. “The Historical Commission still is, but at that time was severely underfunded and understaffed, so there was just not the capacity on the city's end,” she explains. 

When former Mayor Kenny was elected in 2016, he made a commitment to prioritize historic preservation and funnel more resources into the PHC. The Washington Square West nominating team regrouped in 2019, this time looping in the Washington Square West Civic Association for additional support. It still took almost five years of work to prepare for review. Every single property in the district had to be photographed and inventoried, which entailed identifying information like building materials, construction date, architect, and original owners.  

Although the PHC considered the merits of the nomination on May 22 of this year, the historic district wasn’t approved until four months later. Why did it take so long? Residents of Washington Square West requested to postpone the review on three separate occasions. 

After the PHC notified community members of the impending decision, emails came flooding in. Most (but not all) of them were negative. 

“I also want to lodge my opposition to this district. The last thing I need is you being a pain in the ass when I want to replace a window,” one homeowner wrote. 

“Please do not consider [my property] as part of the upcoming discussion in the nomination for designation in historic districts. I will be attending every meeting to fight this designation,” said another.

Some residents responded in support: “As a property owner of a contributing historic property in the Washington Square neighborhood I am 100% in favor for the Historic Commission to recommend and vote yes.”

Almost two months later, disharmony remains palpable. While many opponents agree that historic preservation is important, they consider the Washington Square West Historic District a case of serious overreach, with little regard for the good of the community. The nominating team sought to protect the built heritage of minority groups, but residents fear the historic designation will raise housing prices and push lower–income people out—altering rather than preserving the diversity of the neighborhood they love. 



Washington Square West holds historical significance for Black, Jewish, and LGBTQ communities in Philadelphia, explains Stark. Jewish American heritage is preserved in the Mikveh Israel Cemetery; the history of Black Philadelphians in the 19th and early 20th centuries is scattered east of Broad Street; and the Gayborhood emerged as a gathering place for the LGBTQ population in the late 20th century.

“That is just not common in other neighborhoods, where you can see so many different types of histories represented in one community. That's really what we thought was unique and important to preserve in Washington Square West,” she says. 

Taking a more traditional approach to historic preservation, some of the first speculative row homes, constructed in the late 18th century, are found in Washington Square West. But the Preservation Alliance and Civic Association team wanted to highlight and protect the rich history of these marginalized communities. That’s why they spent so much time revamping the original nominating document to highlight Black and LGBTQ heritage.

Colin Murphy has lived in Washington Square West since June 2021—he opposes the historic district designation, but he’s not against historic preservation. His building is a converted carriage house from 1880 that still has the old French doors and pulley system used to load and unload supplies from the street level. Murphy says he “actually considered going forward and asking the city to designate it as historic,” but decided against it once he learned about the level of restrictions enforced by the PHC.

“I just don't believe the way that they went about doing it, process–wise, is correct or accurate for seeking to preserve the pieces that they're so focused on,” he explains. Several community members called the nomination too “vague” or “broad” in emails to the PHC. 

Murphy cites the demolition of the 12th Street Gym—a gathering place for the LGBTQ community—as a turning point for historic preservation in Washington Square West. “I think the loss of that, the loss of Jewelers’ Row, kind of re–energized everybody to get this going,” he says. “And I think the fervor of just saying we cannot lose anything more kind of led to the way that [the Preservation Alliance and Civic Association] didn't really go about it in a detailed scientific way.”

Tami Sortman, President of the Washington Square West Civic Association, agrees that the gym held tremendous significance for LGBTQ residents because “it was a safe place to go and feel comfortable and be yourself.” The building next to it—the former residence and business place of Black abolitionist and caterer Henry Minton—was also deeply meaningful to the community. Both were torn down in 2021, and replaced by a 32–story residential tower. A PHC official resigned the same year, alleging the Kenny administration pressured him to vote against the historic designation of the multi–unit property on behalf of Midwood Investment and Development.

The Washington Square West nomination identifies a total of 11 properties, five of historical significance to the LGBTQ community, five to the Black community, and only one linked to both. At the time of the historic district approval, three of these sites were already listed on the Register. 

In a letter of opposition, Washington Square West residents expressed their support for individual designation, “However, the need to protect these eight [new] properties hardly justifies creating a historic district covering 1,441,” they write. Thomas objects to the idea that adding eight buildings to the Register is enough to preserve the distinctive feel of the neighborhood. “It's the whole that matters,” he says. In fact, some kind of overarching significance is required to satisfy the Criteria for Designation outlined by the PHC.

The historic period of significance extends more than 200 years from the establishment of Mikveh Israel in 1740 to the 1980s, when a prominent LGBTQ community emerged in the neighborhood. Opponents have problematized the lack of specificity: “It includes properties of many eras and disparate historic, political, and social events. If this nomination meets the Philadelphia Code requirements, a historic district designation could just as easily be proposed for the footprint of our entire city,” write Andrea Korb and Greg Hardes in a letter to the PHC. But Stark sees this as one of its advantages. “That is not always the case in historic districts, but that's what makes Washington Square West unique, is that at every era there's a new layer of significance,” she says.  

“I think you can look at the nomination and see that it's not about any unified history or architectural point of view that you're trying to preserve. And that leaves the question, what are you trying to do with this nomination?” asks Jonathan Hessney, a resident of Washington Square West who is a leading voice of the opposition. A moment later he answers his own question. According to Hessney, it comes down to power, and neighbors are saying the Civic Association got involved in the historic district nomination to stop new development, with little regard for preservation.

The PHC doesn’t need community support to create a historic district, but they did hold a meeting where residents were permitted to comment on the proposal. Although public meetings happen pretty frequently, PHC policy only allows attendees to discuss pre–determined agenda items. 

Lynn Landes is co–founder of the Philadelphia Society of Small Streets, an advocacy group dedicated to restoring historically designated small streets. Since 2001, she’s lived in a house built in 1813, on a historically designated street. “In our little enclave of Jessup, Irvine, and Quince Streets, it's a magical block… It really does give you a feeling that you're back in time,” says Landes. She’s a big proponent of historic preservation, but she sees the public meeting restrictions as a tool to censor conversations about how the PHC is doing business—she also thinks it’s illegal. 

The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act “requires agencies to deliberate and take official action on agency business in an open and public meeting. It requires that meetings have prior notice, and that the public can attend, participate, and comment before an agency takes that official action.” At the same public meeting where the PHC opened the floor to community members, many of whom voiced their opposition to the nomination, they voted to approve the historic district, which doesn’t strike Landes as doing their due diligence.   

“I think the public meetings should have started three years ago, and when I say public meetings, I mean official public meetings, not dog and pony shows,” she says. “If you really care about what people have to say, then it's a back–and–forth discussion.” 

At the request of the original group of nominators, the Civic Association began collaborating with the Preservation Alliance in 2022. Only after hosting a handful of community consultation programs spanning two years did the Board feel comfortable signing on, says Sortman. The Civic Association brought in speakers to educate residents about what it means to become a historic district, and welcomed feedback. “We had zero opposition during those two years,” she adds. “Most of the neighborhood wanted to see this happen because we were seeing history and our neighborhood being demolished.”

Still, community members feel like the Civic Association went over their heads to designate Washington Square West. “I'm a member and a big supporter of [the Civic Association], but they do not represent all the property owners,” says Landes.

While community consultation isn’t part of the designation process, the PHC is required to notify property owners of historic nominations via letter. Hessney says many of his neighbors never received a notice and the ones who did “generally didn’t understand it, because it was really an ad for being a historic district. It wasn't clear that you can't make any changes to your house without their approval.” The PHC also posted flyers around Washington Square West and ran information in the Philadelphia Daily News. Still, Hessney maintains they didn’t do enough to ensure community members were aware of the impending decision.

Since renters make up such a large portion of the neighborhood, Stark says Washington Square West posed more of a challenge than historic district nominations the Preservation Alliance has worked on in the past. Notices are mailed to property owners who might not live in the neighborhood (or even the state), so it’s difficult to reach the renters themselves. 



Because the PHC didn’t answer questions at the public meeting, property owners are left wondering what changes they can and can’t make to their building. “One of my big objections to the way the Philadelphia Historical Commission has done business is that a lot of the rules are not in writing, and then a lot of the decisions appear very arbitrary,” says Landes. 

She recently found out from a neighbor that she’s only allowed to paint her house brick red under PHC guidelines. Landes is concerned rules like this will have a homogenizing effect on the neighborhood, resulting in a monoculture.

The right to natural light—important for human health and sanitation—is another big issue for her. Many of the historical homes in Washington Square West have small windows, or entire walls with none at all. Landes believes there’s no reason the PHC shouldn’t allow homeowners to enlarge their windows, as long as it’s in keeping with the historic style. 

“Historical commissions throughout the country, and you might even say the world, have gotten somewhat of a well–deserved bad rap, because they want to freeze buildings in time. And people who buy these properties… are living in the present,” she says. 

But Thomas tells a much different story. He emphasizes that the PHC only controls the property exterior, so residents can still decorate the inside of their homes however they please. And they’re mostly only concerned with the parts of a building that are regularly viewed by the public. The PHC treats a Building Permit for a backyard facing an empty alley with more leniency than one for a front door.

“People who are highly educated in preservation know that a big part of preservation is preserving the property, not locking it up, and preserving often means upgrades and utilities,” says Thomas. That could look like putting solar panels on a designated building, but slightly back from the edge of the roof so they’re not visible from the street, or altering a doorway to be ADA compliant while maintaining its historic integrity. What residents are calling an overbearing approach to preservation, the PHC insists is actually flexible and responsive to changing times. 

Many first–time buyers avoid historically designated homes because of the associated costs, or they simply don’t want to be told what they can and can’t do with their property. “People may start looking outside of Washington Square West because they have that aspect of freedom that they don't have up here. It might lead to houses sitting longer, then people can't sell them, then eventually the houses just get abandoned and work isn't done,” says Murphy. In a neighborhood with a heavy population of renters, he adds that he can see landlords letting their buildings fall into disrepair rather than shell out an arm and a leg.

Hessney predicts the historic district designation will make living in Washington Square West significantly more expensive. With higher maintenance costs for both homeowners and landlords, the price of housing will increase, pushing lower–income residents out. “The city comes back and asks you to come up with a different solution, which tends to be more expensive,” says Murphy, adding that submitting and getting a Building Permit approved can be a lengthy process.

He’s not alone in his fears. In an email to the PHC, Jared Sobel writes: “If given historic designation, I will ultimately not be able to properly maintain my home and have to eventually move out. Please do not force Philadelphians like myself out of our homes.” 

Murphy, who works as a realtor in Philly, notes that Washington Square West is one of the last affordable neighborhoods in the Center City area. “Rittenhouse Square and Fitler Square and parts of Graduate Hospital are really out of the picture for a lot of people, unless you're at a very high–income threshold,” he says.

The Civic Association supports affordable housing projects, partly due to Sortman’s own experience with rising housing costs. When she first moved into Washington Square West, there was a flourishing LGBTQ community, “but as the years went on, this neighborhood became more and more expensive to live in, and the community got priced out after a while and moved to another section of the city,” she remembers. 

A 2021 study examining the impact of two historic districts on residential segregation in Denver found that “home buyers are more likely to be White within historic districts” and “most transactions flow from White sellers to White buyers,” but not because of official designation. The authors concluded that while historic districts tend to be more segregated than surrounding areas, the associated legal restrictions and housing premium don’t seem to worsen the existing problem. It’s certainly a concern in Philly, a city deeply divided along lines of race and class. A 2022 report from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion found that one racial or ethnic group makes up the majority population in 79% of Philly’s 384 residential census tracts, and Black and Hispanic people living in highly segregated neighborhoods have less access to high–quality housing. 

But not everyone is convinced of an ensuing downward spiral. “I have seen the direct harm of bad development, with [the] creation of modern ‘box’ designs which disrupt the beauty and architectural continuity of blocks in our neighborhood. I reject the premise that…somehow this historic designation would contribute to inequities and lack of affordability,” Barbara Simon says in an email to the PHC.

There are also certain benefits that come with historic designation, such as relaxed zoning requirements. Thomas works in a building classified as a historic commercial structure, which proved indispensable for three young architects with a fledgling company. They renovated the property and “got tax credits that canceled our taxes for three years, that allowed us to get our business started,” he says. “So there are people who come and actually ask to be on the register so they can gain those benefits.”

Thomas emphasizes the willingness of the PHC to work with property owners to bring down costs, while maintaining historical integrity. For example, it’s expensive to replace a slate roof, but the PHC has identified materials that work as substitutes. “Are they a perfect match? No. But they’re good enough that it doesn't bother you, unless you have a PhD in preservation,” he says. Any consultation with PHC staff members is free as part of the Building Permit application process. 



Hessney, Landes, and Murphy all agree the PHC needs to involve the community in the historic district approval process going forward. That means sending multiple notices to residents, clarifying what changes can and can’t be made to historic houses, setting up official public meetings where back–and–forth discussions can occur, and maybe even incorporating a community vote. 

A vote could take on several forms; for instance, in an email to the PHC, Josh Zugerman suggests that “the neighborhood would be better served by individuals electing to participate on their own accord.” 

Another option would be to create multiple, smaller historic districts that don’t cover all of Washington Square West, says Murphy, who describes the nomination as “a really lazy approach.” To better tailor designations around their respective communities, he recommends establishing an LGBTQ historic district centered around Giovanni’s Room—the oldest LGBTQ–owned bookstore in the US—and a separate Jewish historic district in the Mikveh Israel area. “I wonder if the Civic Association and the Preservation Alliance were just running out of funds and weren't able to do as detailed of an analysis,” he says.

“I think you would get more interest in preserving these buildings if you had a less restrictive, more reasonable working relationship with the Historical Commission,” Landes says. She proposes a “well–funded citywide preservation concept, so that we don’t lose buildings and neighborhoods of historic significance, rather than throwing a net around entire neighborhoods that include non–historic buildings.”

The PHC has designated historic districts in the past with little to no protest, but if the Washington Square West backlash is any indication, the historic preservation system in Philly can’t keep operating independent of the community. A lack of understanding between residents and the PHC has generated resentment and mistrust. “They’re just going to keep designating, designating, designating. That's the future, like the city's going to turn into a museum,” says Hessney.

Opponents of the historic district generally agree on the importance of protecting the built heritage of minority groups, but they problematize the decision to lump Black, LGBTQ, and Jewish history into one district. And they worry minority communities will be pushed out of the neighborhood altogether by rising prices. It’s a shoving match between preservation and adaptation, personal expression and historic integrity in the world of city planning—and Washington Square West is in the middle. 

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