PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — With unanimous approval from the Philadelphia Historical Commission last week, the Germantown Urban Village Historic District now has greater protection against demolition and development.
The historic district includes 65 buildings in various styles, including federal and colonial, as well as multiple vacant lots along Germantown Avenue and cross streets Church Lane, School House Lane and Lena Street.
Securing protections for the properties is the culmination of years of work and has been a community effort, says Tuomi Forrest, executive director of Historic Germantown.
More than 50 years ago, the area was federally named a National Historic Landmark, but that did not stop developers from gaining access to surrounding buildings and demolishing precious historic properties.
“A building could be listed in the National Register of Historic Places and not really have any protection locally,” says Tuomi Forrest, executive director of Historic Germantown.
It became apparent that a district designation from the city was needed to truly protect this integral portion of American history.
“You know, this site was where Revolutionary soldiers camped and traveled — through Market Square and immediate places around it. So there’s important stuff below the ground as well as above,” Tuomi said.
“Everyone that lived on the block, worked in the area, that spoke to us, was positive about the nomination.”
In fact, some businesses in the area say the historic district should encompass a larger area.
Forrest says Historic Germantown and its partners will continue to work toward creating more historic districts in the area in hopes of protecting the city’s irreplaceable history.