Category: Philadelphia
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Police Administration Building (1962) – Philadelphia
Geddes, Brecher, Qualls and Cunningham. Police Administration Building (1962). Center City, Philadelphia.1 2 3 Looking up at the Police Administration Building from the northeast Windows above the main entrance of the Police Administration Building, Philadelphia Windows on the west wing of the Police Administration Building, Philadelphia Windows on the Police Administration Building, Philadelphia Windows on the Police Administration Building, Philadelphia Windows on the east wing of the Police Administration Building, Philadelphia Windows on the Police Administration Building, Philadelphia Looking at the east wing of the Police Administration Building, Philadelphia Looking at the rear of the Police Administration Building from the southeast -
Second Bank of the United States (1824) – Philadelphia
William Strickland. Second Bank of the United States (1824). Philadelphia.1 2 3 
Columns, architrave, frieze, cornice, and entablature on the north facade of the Second Bank of the United States, Philadelphia 
Capital, architrave, frieze, and triglyphs on the Second Bank of the United States, Philadelphia 
Looking at the columns of the Second Bank of the United States from the east References
- Second Bank of the United States – Independence National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) ↩︎
- “Bank of the United States.” York Recorder (York, Pennsylvania), April 27, 1819, p. 2. ↩︎
- “Communication.” The National Gazette (Philadelphia), April 30, 1821, p. 2. ↩︎
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Clarence B. Moore Residence (1890) – Philadelphia
Wilson Eyre, Jr. Clarence B. Moore Residence (1890, left) and Joseph Leidy Residence (1893, right). Center City, Philadelphia.1 2 3 
West elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
West elevation of the Clarence Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Front porch and entrance of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Entrance and second-floor double window on the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Second-floor double window on the facade of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Second-floor window on the front circular tower of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Front porch and entrance of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Ornamentation on the front porch of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Rusticated limestone on the front porch of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Terracotta ornamentation on the entrance of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Terracotta ornamentation on the entrance of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Lion at the front steps of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Second-floor window on the front circular tower of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Chimney on the facade of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
First-floor window on the front circular tower of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Front circular tower and front porch of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
First-floor bay window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
First-floor windows and rusticated limestone on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Second-floor bay window and third-floor balcony on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Second-floor triple window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
First-floor bay window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Back circular tower and oval window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Second-floor window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
First-floor double window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Chimney on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Basement window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Gargoyle on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Terracotta ornamentation on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Oval window and rusticated limestone on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Second-floor double window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Terracotta ornamentation on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Third-floor balcony and circular window on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Terracotta corbel on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Second-floor window on the back circular tower of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Dormer on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Headless statue on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Roof finial on the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Terracotta corbel over the entrance of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Statue on the west elevation of the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia 
Roof finial on the Clarence B. Moore Residence, Philadelphia References
- “The Church of the Messiah Sold.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 6, 1890, p. 2. ↩︎
- “Will Build In Virginia.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 12, 1890, p. 7. ↩︎
- National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Clarence B. Moore House ↩︎
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Relic Signs: Philip’s Restaurant (1940) – Philadelphia
Philip’s Restaurant (1940). 1145 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia. This swanky old sign is a true relic of South Philly, which is changing as rapidly as any other neighborhood these days.
Owned and operated by the Muzi family, Philip’s Restaurant was licensed for business at this location in 1940,1 although later advertisements claimed it opened in 1938.2
The blue portion of the sign likely dates to 1940, but I suspect the “Cocktail Lounge” segment was added later.
Location of Philip’s Restaurant
Originally built as a residence, the 3-story brownstone structure that housed the restaurant previously served as the Circolo Italiano clubhouse for at least 20 years.3 4
Philip’s touted itself as “Serving the finest in Italian cuisine”, and the interior photograph shown below is from a postcard published circa 1960, based on a note from the back that adds the restaurant had been in “The same location for 20 years.”
Interior of Philips Restaurant, circa 1960. Photograph by Bill Bennett from an undated postcard published by Bill Bennett of Philadelphia and Pennsburg, Pennsylvania. Philip’s closed in 2001, and the building has apparently been unoccupied since 2018.5 The sign remains untouched.
References
- “Latest Reports Of Legal Actions”. The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 23, 1940, p. 39. ↩︎
- Advertisement. The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, October 27, 1968, p. 44. ↩︎
- “Sale on South Broad Street”. The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 12, 1916, p. 7. ↩︎
- “Circolo Italiano Meets”. The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1936, p. 32. ↩︎
- Hidden City Philadelphia › Mysteries Revealed as Old Philip’s Restaurant Eyed for Redevelopment ↩︎
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Rohm & Haas Corporate Headquarters (1965) – Philadelphia
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FMC Tower (2016) – Philadelphia
Pelli Clarke & Partners with BLT Architects. FMC Tower (2016). Philadelphia.1 References
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City Hall (1901) – Philadelphia
John McArthur, Jr., John Ord, and W. Bleydden Powell. City Hall (1901). Philadelphia.1 2 3 4 5 6 
References
- “The Public Buildings Commission In Session.” The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 16, 1870, p. 2. ↩︎
- “Proposals For The Erection Of Public Buildings.” The Daily Evening Telegraph (Philadelphia), November 5, 1870, p. 8. ↩︎
- “Architect Ord Explains”. The Philadelphia Times, February 1, 1894, p. 3. ↩︎
- “Grip’s Latest Victim”. The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 9, 1890, p. 2. ↩︎
- “Ord’s Successor”. The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 7, 1894, p. 1. ↩︎
- “The City Hall Changes Hands”. The Philadelphia Times, June 27, 1901, p. 3. ↩︎
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Urban Life: Common pigeon in Philly
Common pigeon (Columba livia). Center City, Philadelphia. It was a freezing day in Philly when I snapped this pic of a pigeon shivering on a fire hydrant—I believe it was on 15th Street in Center City, across from City Hall.
Snow was on the way, and the winter wind whipping between the buildings packed a nasty bite. I hope the bird is enjoying the warmer weather.
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Guild House (1963) – Philadelphia
Venturi and Rauch. Guild House (1963). Philadelphia.1 If you want to see bad architecture, go to Atlanta; if you want to see good architecture, go to New York. If you want to see interesting architecture, visit Philly.
Philadelphia has a long history of architects whose work is weird and idiosyncratic — the kind of projects that make you cock your head and go “huh.” Designers like Frank Furness, Wilson Eyre, Jr., Malcolm Wells, and—most famously—Louis Kahn, all developed approaches to architecture that were brash, distinctive, and groundbreaking.
Not to be overlooked is the husband-and-wife architectural team of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, whose Philadelphia-based firm pioneered what is now known as postmodern architecture.
Pictured here is Guild House in Philadelphia’s Poplar neighborhood, which I visited last June. Completed in 1963, it’s Robert Venturi’s most important early work, designed with 91 apartments for low-income senior citizens.
As the duo shared in their seminal 1966 manifesto, Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, Guild House was consciously modeled, in part, on the vernacular architecture of Philadelphia’s ubiquitous rowhouses.
At first glance, the building’s appearance is unremarkable—and that’s entirely the point. The flat facade, covered in common brick, blends seamlessly with the banal industrial buildings surrounding the facility.
On closer observation, however, the structure’s bold massing and irregularly sized square windows form a provocative composition. The central opening with 8 partitioned balconies, topped by a giant arched window, resembles a shelf for knick-knacks—striking yet oddly familiar and cozy.
The project was a conscious celebration of the commonplace, meticulously planned using plain, low-cost materials, right down to the chain-link fence that surrounds the building.
At the roots of the postmodern ethos was the egalitarian belief that art and architecture belonged to ordinary people, not just a self-anointed elite. Ironically—and inevitably—the movement was co-opted and corrupted by starchitects and corporate designers until it was thoroughly dismantled and destroyed.
Alas, this is the world we have created.
References
- Venturi, Robert. Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1966. ↩︎
