HPI: News and Events
Fall 2025
New Report Released!
A new report by PlaceEconomics for the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia was released in November 2025. Its purpose is to quantify the impact of historic preservation on neighborhood diversity, housing affordability, and building investment. Read it here:
Growing Through Preservation: The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Philadelphia
October 19th, 2025
2025 West Mt. Airy Historic House Tour
In collaboration with Mt. Airy Learning Tree (MALT), the WMAN HPI organized a Historic House Tour on Sunday October 19, 2025 from 12:00pm until 4:00pm. Specially-selected private homes from the 19th and early 20th century demonstrate a respect for architectural integrity and historic detail, combined with imaginative and inspired choices for living in the 21st century. The charm and character of each house has made it special for the Historic House Tour, and the history and architecture help to illustrate the wonderful evolution of our West Mt. Airy community.
May 29th, July 31st, Sept 25th, Nov 6th 2025
Community Conversations: Historic Preservation in West Mt Airy
NEXT MEETING: TBD
The Irish Center, 6815 Emlen Street
RSVP to wmanhpi@gmail.com.
We invite you to take part in our continuing series of community conversations about potential historic district designations in West Mt. Airy—including the Pelham Historic Neighborhood District.
In response to suggestions during meetings over the summer, the focus during this session will be on answering your questions and encouraging dialogue. The discussion will be guided by a facilitator from WMAN HPI.
Representatives from the preservation community will be on hand to offer insight and answer your questions. This is a chance to be informed, get involved, and make your voice heard—because community input is not just welcome, it’s vital.
Past Meetings:
May 29th, 2025 | Slides | Notes
July 31st, 2025 | Slides | Notes
September 25th, 2025 | Slides | Notes
November 6th, 2025 | Slides
April 22nd, April 29th, May 6th, 2025
Old House Care 2025 Workshop Series
HPI once again partnered with Cliveden of the National Trust to organize an Old House Care workshop series. Workshops took place on three consecutive Tuesdays from April 22 – May 6th with the following topics:
- Masonry: Mortar and Brick (April 22nd, 6:30pm-8:00pm)
- Roofing (April 29th, 6:30pm-8:00pm)
- Electrical Systems in Historic Houses (May 6th, 6:30-8:00pm)
For resources on these topics, see our page on Old House Care.
January 10, 2025
Approved! Northwest Philadelphia Apartments Thematic Historic District
HPI prepared a nomination to designate the Northwest Philadelphia Apartments Thematic Historic District. The district includes 30 properties in Northwest Philadelphia, all of them apartment buildings within close proximity to the Chestnut Hill West Line of SEPTA Regional Rail. The nomination focuses on the period from 1910 to 1940, when many apartment buildings were constructed in this part of the city. The nomination document can be read here.
The Northwest Philadelphia Apartments Thematic Historic District was approved for designation on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places on Friday, January 10th, 2025.
October 20, 2024
West Mt. Airy Historic House Tour
In collaboration with Mt. Airy Learning Tree (MALT), the WMAN HPI organized a Historic House Tour on Sunday October 20, 2024 from 12:00pm until 4:00pm. Six specially-selected private homes from the 19th and early 20th century demonstrate a respect for architectural integrity and historic detail, combined with imaginative and inspired choices for living in the 21st century. The charm and character of each house has made it special for the Historic House Tour, and the history and architecture help to illustrate the wonderful evolution of our West Mt. Airy community.
Photo credit: Sammy Lifson-Neubardt
October 4, 11, 18, 2023
Old House Care Workshops
In October 2023 WMAN’s Historical Preservation Initiative, in partnership with Cliveden, organized and hosted a series of three workshops related to the care of old houses. The workshop topics were Windows, Interior Plaster, and Masonry: Mortar and Brick, taught by Ray Tschoepe and Andrew Staples and held in the Barn at Cliveden.
For more resources related to old house care topics, please see our Old House Care page.
April 14, 2023
Wood Norton Residences listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
The Wood Norton Residences joins Cresheim Valley Apartments as the second apartment building in Mt. Airy to be designated as historic in 2023. Like every nomination, this went through two rounds of public meetings where the Commission staff, the building owners, the nominators, and the public had a chance to discuss the nominations and express their opinions for or against the historic designation. The Commission’s vote to ultimately designate both of these apartments as historic is reflective of the buildings’ distinctive architectural styles as well as their historic role as dense housing structures built in response to the railroad-led transformation of Northwest Philadelphia in the early decades of the 20th century.
March 10, 2023
Cresheim Valley Apartments listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
On March 10, 2023, the Historical Commission voted to designate Cresheim Valley Apartments as a historic building. The nomination of this building was the first one put together by WMAN’s Historic Preservation Initiative, and this designation means that any new changes to the exterior or changes that require a permit will need to be reviewed by the Historical Commission. The Cresheim Valley Apartments were designed in 1914 by architect Henry E. DeHoff and reflect the development and architectural style of the first decades of the 1900s, and the historic designation is an important step to preserving this history and maintaining the character of the neighborhood.
Learn more about Philadelphia’s nomination process here.
