About The Survey
Although Philadelphia is widely recognized as a city with abundant historic buildings and neighborhoods, no one has ever conducted a citywide survey of historic resources to identify assets and determine which are most worthy of protection and preservation.
In fact, according to a study conducted by the Cultural Resources Consulting Group for the Preservation Alliance, only 4 percent of the properties in the city have ever been evaluated in terms of their historic significance and the last surveys were conducted around 1980. Past surveys, and consequent listings on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places focused on colonial-era resources and on Center City. Other periods and other sections of the city are woefully underrepresented.
Conducting a survey of a city as large and as rich in historic resources as Philadelphia is a very difficult and challenging undertaking. For several years, the Preservation Alliance has been experimenting with the use of contemporary technology to simplify such a survey. At the same time, the Alliance and its consultants evaluated the way historic atlases and maps might be used to simplify the process and focus on those sections of the city where historic resources are most likely to be concentrated. In 2009, the Alliance selected a methodology for conducting a citywide survey, which is expected to take two to three years to complete.
In the meantime, community organizations and individual residents are encouraged to submit suggestions of important historic resources in their own neighborhoods to help begin to develop a database of historic sites throughout the city. Click here to learn more about historic resources in the city’s neighborhoods. To suggest a historic resource in your neighborhood worth preserving, email advocacy@preservationalliance.com or click here to upload a photo of the resource.
The following maps show how existing historic designations are confined primarily to Center City and a handful of other areas:
- Map of National Register Districts (2009)
- Map of properties listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places (2009)
For detailed information about boundaries in Philadelphia’s National Register Districts, visit Pennsylvania’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information System (CRGIS).
To determine if a property is currently on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, contact the Philadelphia Historical Commission.