National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia facts for kids

Center City is a busy part of Philadelphia!

This article is about the amazing historic places you can find in Center City, Philadelphia. These places are so special that they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Think of it like a Hall of Fame for buildings, neighborhoods, and other cool spots that tell important stories about America's past!

The National Register of Historic Places is a list kept by the United States government. It helps protect places that are important for their history, architecture, or what happened there. Some of these places are even more special and are called National Historic Landmarks. These are places that have played a huge role in the history of the entire country!

Philadelphia has a lot of these historic places – 567 in total! Center City alone has 148 of them, including 34 National Historic Landmarks. This area is packed with history, with ten historic districts covering a large part of it. These districts include almost all the area between the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, from Chestnut Street to Locust Street.

What is the National Register of Historic Places?
- Why are places listed?
- National Historic Landmarks: Even More Special!
Cool Historic Spots to Explore in Center City
Places That Used to Be Here
Images for kids

What is the National Register of Historic Places?

The National Register of Historic Places is an official list of buildings, sites, objects, structures, and districts that are important in American history. When a place is added to this list, it means it's recognized for its special value. This helps to preserve it for future generations.

Why are places listed?

Places can be listed for many reasons. Maybe a famous person lived there, or an important event happened. Sometimes, it's because the building has a unique design or shows how people lived long ago. Being on the list helps protect these places from being torn down or changed too much.

National Historic Landmarks: Even More Special!

Some places on the National Register are extra important. They are called National Historic Landmarks. These sites are recognized for their outstanding national significance. They represent key moments, people, or ideas in American history.

Cool Historic Spots to Explore in Center City

Center City is full of incredible historic buildings and areas. Let's look at some of the highlights!

Independence National Historical Park: Birthplace of a Nation

One of the most famous areas is Independence National Historical Park. This park is where many important events in American history took place. It includes places like:

Carpenters' Hall: This building was where the First Continental Congress met in 1774. It's a key spot in the story of America's fight for freedom.
First Bank of the United States: This was the first national bank in the country. It played a big role in shaping America's early economy.
Second Bank of the United States: Another important early bank, known for its grand architecture.
Merchants' Exchange Building: A beautiful building where business deals and trading happened in the past.
Independence Hall: This is where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed. It's one of the most important historic buildings in the country!

Historic Churches and Meeting Houses

Center City has many old churches and meeting houses that are still standing.

Christ Church: This church is very old and has seen many famous people attend services, including George Washington.
Arch Street Meetinghouse: This historic building was a place of worship for Quakers. It's known for its simple, yet beautiful, design.
St. Augustine's Catholic Church: A beautiful church with a long history in Philadelphia.
St. Peter's Church: Another historic church known for its lovely architecture and peaceful grounds.

Famous Buildings and Their Stories

Many individual buildings in Center City have their own unique stories.

Academy of Music: This grand building is one of the oldest opera houses in the United States. It's still used for concerts and shows today.
The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel: A very fancy and historic hotel that has hosted many important guests over the years.
Philadelphia City Hall: This huge and impressive building is one of the largest city halls in the world. It's a true landmark of Philadelphia.
Reading Terminal and Trainshed: Once a busy train station, this building is now home to the famous Reading Terminal Market. It's a great place to grab a bite to eat!
John Wanamaker Store: This was one of the first department stores in the country. It's famous for its Grand Court and the huge pipe organ.

Historic Neighborhoods and Districts

Some entire areas in Center City are historic districts. This means many buildings in that area are protected.

Elfreth's Alley Historic District: This is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in America. Walking here feels like stepping back in time!
Society Hill Historic District: This neighborhood is known for its beautiful colonial and early American homes. It's a charming area to explore.
Rittenhouse Historic District: This area includes the beautiful Rittenhouse Square park and many elegant homes and buildings around it.
Washington Square West Historic District: Another lovely neighborhood with historic homes and a strong community feel.

Places That Used to Be Here

Sometimes, even historic places can be changed or removed. Here are a few examples of places that were once on the National Register but are no longer listed:

Jayne Estate Building: This building was located near Penn's Landing. It was unfortunately torn down.
Gilbert Building: This building was removed to make way for the expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
John Wanamaker House: This house was damaged by a fire and later demolished, though parts of its original design still exist.

These changes show how important it is to protect our historic places. Once they are gone, their stories can be harder to tell.

Images for kids

The 1616 Walnut Street Building.
The 1900 Rittenhouse Square Apartments.
The Adelphi School.
The Amalgamated Center.
The American Baptist Publication Society building.
The Arch Street Opera House, also known as the Trocadero Theatre.
The Arch Street Presbyterian Church.
The Oliver H. Bair Funeral Home.
The Belgravia Hotel.
The Bell Telephone Company Building.
The John C. Bell House.
The Benjamin Franklin Hotel.
The Bishop Mackay-Smith House.
The Board of Education Building.
The Boekel Building.
A view of the Broad Street Historic District.
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.
A view of the Center City West Commercial Historic District, which includes Rittenhouse Square.
The Chateau Crillon Apartment House.
The Christ Church Burial Ground, where Benjamin Franklin is buried.
The Church of the Holy Trinity.
A street in the Clinton Street Historic District.
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
The Edward Drinker Cope House.
The Drake Hotel.
The Drexel and Company Building.
Drinker's Court.
The Thomas Durham School.
A street in the East Center City Commercial Historic District.
Elfreth's Alley Historic District.
The Elks Lodge BPOE No. 2.
The Equitable Trust Building.
Estey Hall.
The Wilson Eyre House.
The Fidelity–Philadelphia Trust Company Building.
The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry Armory.
The First Unitarian Church.
The Franklin Institute, now the Philadelphia History Museum.
The Franklin Institute Science Museum.
Franklin Square.
The Free Quaker Meetinghouse.
The Henry George Birthplace.
The Girard Group.
The Globe Ticket Company Building (now destroyed).
The Harris Building.
Head House Square.
The Heywood Chair Factory.
The Hill-Physick House.
Hockley Row.
The A.J. Holman and Company building.
Houses at 2000–2018 Delancey Street.
The Insurance Company of North America Building.
The Horace Jayne House.
The Juvenile and Domestic Branches of the Municipal Court.
The Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial.
The Land Title Building.
The Larkin-Belber Building.
The Dr. Joseph Leidy House.
The J. Peter Lesley House.
Lits Department Store.
Logan Square.
The Mask and Wig Club of the University of Pennsylvania.
The Masonic Temple.
The Francis McIlvain House.
The Merchants' Exchange Building.
Mikveh Israel Cemetery.
The Clarence B. Moore House.
Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church.
Musical Fund Hall.
The Neill-Mauran House.
The New Century Guild.
New Market.
The New York Mutual Life Insurance Company Building.
Old City Historic District.
The Old Federal Reserve Bank.
The Packard Motor Corporation Building.
Park Towne Place.
Penn Towers.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Pennsylvania Hospital.
The Philadelphia College of Art.
The Philadelphia Contributionship.
The Philadelphia Racquet Club.
The Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building.
The Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy.
The Philadelphia Stock Exchange.
The Physicians and Dentists Building.
The Pitcairn Building.
Plays and Players Theatre.
Portico Row.
The Princeton Club.
The Race Street Friends Meetinghouse.
The Rafsnyder-Welsh House.
A street in the Ramcat Historic District.
The J. Sylvester Ramsey School (now destroyed).
The Reynolds-Morris House.
Ringgold Place.
A building in the Rittenhouse Historic District.
The Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters.
St. Clement's Protestant Episcopal Church.
St. George's Methodist Church.
The St. James Hotel.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church.
St. Peter's Church.
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.
The Smyth Young Field Company Building.
The Social Service Building.
Homes in the Society Hill Historic District.
The Solomon House.
One of the John Stewart Houses.
William Strickland Row.
The Suburban Station Building.
The Thomas Sully Residence.
The Sun Oil Building.
The Touraine.
The Union League of Philadelphia.
The United States Custom House.
The U.S. Court House and Post Office Building.
The USS BECUNA (SS–319).
The U.S.S. OLYMPIA.
A street in the Walnut-Chancellor Historic District.
The Walnut Street Theatre.
The Warburton House.
The Warwick.
Washington Square.
A street in the Washington Square West Historic District.
The Waverly Garage.
The WCAU Studios.
The Wesley AME Zion Church.
The Wesley Building.
The Witherspoon Building.
The Young Men's Christian Association.
The Jayne Estate Building (now demolished).
The Gilbert Building (now demolished).
The Harrison Building (now demolished).
The Twelfth Street Meetinghouse (relocated).
The John Wanamaker House (now demolished).

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.