Philadelphia Row Houses By Don Letts and Lindsey Kieffaber

Penn's Plan “Penn's initial design for his 'green country town' was framed partly in response to his negative view of london”- (pg. 10. Spaces, inside and outside in Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia by Sharon V Salinger) Philadelphia was the first large-scale gridiron. He designed the town for large mansions per block surrounded by gardens. A truly suburban setting Ironically, “...by 1750 the aspect of the toen bore a closer resemblance to London than to Penn's vision of a disciplined community.” (pg. 1. Houses and Early Life in Philadelphia, by Grant Miles Simon) You note “greene country town” in previous slide also, make sure to reference all your facts/idea make sure to write about how these examples of row houses fit into the object of the assignment how do row houses fit into penn's idea of a “green country town”? Is the row house a compromise between what penn saw in London and his ideal of a green country town? Philadelphia renowned for its ability to provide citizens with a house – not just an apartment. Is the row house an embodiment of a spacious, “green country town” in the sense that each person has the real ability to own her/his own property? Which sets of the row houses are speculatively built, and which have unique designs? Christopher Wren – drew out plans for London after the fire of 1666 “in 1690 most of the inhabitants were well housed, and John Goodson was finding “rents towards the river high.” Penn's dream of a great town had come a reality.” - (wilderness, 10)

Row House Comprimise Row Houses were “Philadelphia’s dominant building type for 300 years…” (pg. 14, The Comparative Row House Study: an Introduction to Architectural Design, by Paul Hirsorn) Row House design is essentially a comprimise between what Penn wanted, and what London was. The majority of the row houses did not have gardens in front of them. However row houses allowed for individuals to own property rather than the appartment style New York. Penn encouraged, and there still remains a psychology within Philadelphia (especially the old Philadelphia area) that the inhabitants are city people, but country people at heart.

Half Timber Construction A few examples of half-timber construction: Used in Germany and London (before the great fire of 1666) Relevance: the first row houses were constructed in half-timber construction (Budd’s Row- “the earliest recorded row in Philadelphia… dating from about 1691” (pg. 140, Robert Mills and the Philadelphia Row House, by Kenneth Ames)

- upper to middle class inhabitants - 1702-1755 Elfreth's alley - upper to middle class inhabitants - 1702-1755 - one side is primarily Georgian architecture, and the other federal. South Side of Elfreth's Alley Georgian architecture - pediments - paneled shutters Elfreth's alley is the most perfect existing example of city house plan.

North Side of Elfreth’s Alley Federal Architecture -collumns around the door -more aymewtrical and balanced. -have elevated entrances more often - pedimented gable - three full stories - roof pitch reduced

York Row: South side of walnut street facing sansom row originally very grand Built by BHL in 1807-1808, shortly before Mills created Franklin row

Built in 1810 by Robert Mills Franklin Row: Built in 1810 by Robert Mills South 9th St, between Chestnut and Walnut St. Franklin rowis not just a series of different architectural unites but a unified architectural composition to emulate England's tradion of style. Franklin row was different in it's style because it took the traditional country house (pictured above) and replicated it (without the one story sides) into a row. It was unique in its approach and was copied afterwards.

Colonade Row Corner of Fifteenth and Chestnut Streets residential four-storey buildings 1830 John Haviland

Sansom Row: Brown Stone Façade – (16 of 18…2 westward have common Philadelphia brick) Imbricated Shingles – overlapping edges Mansards - upper story formed by a slanted roof Paired Doorways Continuous bracketed cornices – molding Built in 1860’s By Benjamin Henry Latrobe

Elfreth's Alley Franklin Row Sansom Row York Row Budd's Long Row

Bibliography Bridenbaugh, Carl. Cities in the Wilderness. New York: The Ronald Press Company. Burt, Nathaniel. The Perennial Philadelphians. Philadelphia: University of Pennslyvania Press, 1963. Salinger, Sharon V. “Spaces, Inside and Outside in Eighteenth Century Philadelphia.” Journal of Interdisciplinary History, Vol. 26, No. 1. 31. 1995. Ames, Kenneth. “Robert Mills and the Philadelphia Row House”. The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 27, No. 2. May, 1968. 140-146 Schweitzer, Mary M. “The Spatial Organization of Federalist Philadelphia, 1790.” Journal of Interdisciplinary History, Vol. 24, No. 1. 31. 1993. The Octavia Hill Association. “Certain Aspects of the Housing Problem in Philadelphia.” Annals of the American academy of Political and Social Science.Vol. 20. July 1902, 111- 120. http://www.uchs.net/HistoricDistricts/sansomrow.html http://www.brynmawr.edu/cities/courses/05-306/proj2/ab2/Developers.htm

Bibliography con’t Simon, Grant Miles. “Houses and Early Life in Philadelphia.” Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. New Ser, Vol. 43, No. 1. 1953. Murtagh, William John. “The Philadelphia Row House.” The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 16 No. 4. December 1957. Smith, Robert C. “Two Centuries of Philadelphia Architecture 1700-1800.” Transations of the American Philosophical Society, New Ser, Vol 43, No. 1. 1953 http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ho_display.cfm/781464 http://sacredheritage.com/normita/images/sloth-3.jpg Hirshorn, Paul. “The Comparative Rowhouse Study: An Introduction to Architectural Design.” JAE, Vol. 36, No. 1. 1982. http://www.brynmawr.edu/iconog/evans/files/phs178.html