PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia Historical Commission this week designated six blocks of Christian Street — from Broad to 20th streets — as a historic district called Black Doctors Row. It’s the first historic district to recognize the contributions of Black Philadelphians.
From the early- to mid-1900s, Christian Street west of Broad became the neighborhood of choice for Black professionals — doctors, lawyers, educators, architects, all prominent members of their fields. The rampant discrimination they experienced made their achievements much more extraordinary.
In 2021, Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson first proposed a demolition moratorium to protect the area. During Friday’s hearing about the proposal, Johnson spokesman Vincent Thompson told the Philadelphia Historical Commission that they could make history themselves by cementing that protection with a historic designation, which means the properties cannot be changed without the commission’s approval.
“Philadelphia is now 340 years old, and we have never had a historic district created based on the history of Black Americans,” said Thompson.
The public gave near-unanimous support to the designation when offering testimony during the commission's hearing. Only one anonymous commenter said it would destroy property values.
“We are seeking not only to preserve the house that I live in, but we’re also seeking to protect this Black history and have it for future generations to learn about,” said Linda Evans, who lives on the 1600 block of Christian.
The commission unanimously voted Friday in favor of the designation. It will protect the area’s 154 properties.
“When you look at the issue of gentrification and the preservation of African American history, it’s significant and will allow the legacy of African American professionals who lived along Christian Street to live long,” said Johnson as the commission approved the protection.
“This will also give residents the opportunity to learn the rich history of African American culture along Christian Street, but also will signify that we should be preserving African American culture throughout the city of Philadelphia.”
“I’m sure many people will be influenced by this as well, in a very positive way, that we’ve heard from so many people,” said Historical Commission Chairman Bob Thomas.
“This is a historic, momentous day that I will never forget.”
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