[MassHistPres] Philadelphia style houses

[Kristi Chase]

Thank you Michael,
 
The questioner thought it was a Somerville-only term.  My experience is
that it is a Boston-area term not used in Philadelphia.  The large
Philadelphia style house where I lived in west Cambridge also had a
bedroom on the second floor.  It was accessed by a stair between the
kitchen and the dining room.  The second means of egress opened into the
second floor unit's front hall from the bedroom.
 
I'm not sure how to access VAF archives as I am not am member of that
group so if anyone has more information on the terms origins, it would
be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks to all,
 
Kristi Chase, Preservation Planner 
Historic Preservation Commission 
Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development 
93 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA  02143 
(t) 617-625-6600 x2525, (f) 617-625-0722 

________________________________

From: Steinitz, Michael @ SEC (SEC)
[mailto:michael.steinitz at state.ma.us] 
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 12:36 PM
To: Kristi Chase; masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: RE: [MassHistPres] Philadelphia style houses



Kristi,

 

There was a string of discussion on this question on the Vernacular
Architecture Forum listserv three years ago raised by Boston area folks.
As I recall members on the listserv from Philadelphia responded that
this was not an arrangement common to Philadelphia.  No one could offer
an explanation of how or when the term "Philadelphia style" got into the
Boston area real estate lexicon.   For MassHistPres members who aren't
familiar with the term or form, the typical distinguishing feature is
that the first floor unit has a stair accessing a single bedroom on the
second floor.  The bedroom has no connection to the second floor unit.
These are very common in turn of the 20th century two-family
neighborhoods in metro Boston.   In the Somerville house I lived in for
many years the stair for this bedroom led off the first floor entry
hall.  The person or persons occupying that bedroom could easily come
and go without passing through any of the other living spaces of the
unit, and I think at least part of the idea was to accommodate the sorts
of living arrangements with multi-generational families and boarders
typical of households of that period. 

 

Michael Steinitz

Director 

Preservation Planning Division

Massachusetts Historical Commission

220 Morrissey Blvd

Boston MA 02125

617-727-8470

617-727-5128 (fax)

michael.steinitz at state.ma.us

 

________________________________

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Kristi Chase
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 11:44 AM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] Philadelphia style houses

 

Does anyone know the origin of the term 'Philadelphia' for two-family
homes where the units share the center floor? 

Thanks, 

Kristi Chase 

Kristenna P. Chase, Preservation Planner 
Historic Preservation Commission 
Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development 
93 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA  02143 
(t) 617-625-6600 x2525, (f) 617-625-0722 

 

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