MINUTES OF THE 230th STATED MEETING OF THE PHILADELPHIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION 2 November 1978 F. Otto Haas, Chairman Present: F. Otto Haas, Chairman of the Commission The Hon. John B. Kelly, Jr., Councilman-at-Large Edward Pinkowski John Taxin Val Mogensen, Executive Assistant Director of Finance Herbert W. Levy, A.I.A., Architectural Advisor to the Commission Barbara Liggett, Archaeological Consultant to the Commission David Rosenblum, Esq., Assistant City Solicitor Richard Tyler, Historian Patricia Siemiatkowski, Executive Assistant to the Chairman Also : Leonard Zack, Esq., part-owner of 1429 Walnut Street, and his architect, Rhett Hamilton Jones. Unless otherwise noted, all actions taken herein are the results of motions correctly made, seconded and carried. THE MINUTES of the Stated Meeting, 5 October 1978, were approved and directed to be filed. REPORTS The Report of the Architectural Committee for 18 October 1978, Herbert W. Levy, A.I.A., Chairman, was approved and directed to be filed with the official copy of the Minutes. Recommendations by the Staff for the Certification of Buildings, Richard Tyler, Historian. Leonard Zack, Esq. and Rhett Hamilton Jones, Architect, appeared before the Philadelphia Historical Commission to request the certification of the building situate at 1429 Walnut Street. The building, a sixteen story structure, located on the north side of Walnut Street was built as the Longacres Hotel in 1916. In 1926, after the completion of the adjacent Drexel banking building, the Longacre Hotel was completely refurbished by the architectural firm of Day and Klauder as an office building. MINUTES 2 2 November 1978 Mr. Zack proposes to restore the building to its 1926 appearance. His architect, Mr. Jones, presented to the Commission for file a copy of the elevation and section drawn by Day and Kloehn which he will use in planning the structure's exterior restoration. The Commission members requested that Mr. Zack provide the office with a chain-of-title for the property and with the names of the original architect and builder if they could be determined. After some discussion of the building's merits, a motion was made to certify the structure. This motion was seconded and carried. Mr. Mogensen abstained from voting. Report on Philadelphia Historical Commission Staff Activities for the month of October, Richard Tyler, Historian. Dr. Tyler's Report was approved and directed to be filed with the official copy of the Minutes. OLD BUSINESS Committee on Certification. The Chairman announced that the poll of the Commission members favored the appointment of
on Philadelphia Historical Commission Staff Activities for the month of October, Richard Tyler, Historian. Dr. Tyler's Report was approved and directed to be filed with the official copy of the Minutes. OLD BUSINESS Committee on Certification. The Chairman announced that the poll of the Commission members favored the appointment of Mr. Pinkowski to the Committee. Mr. Pinkowski expressed his willingness to serve. As authorized by the Commission at its October meeting, the Historian solicited the participation of James Mooney, Executive Director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, to act as the outside historian, and Hyman Myers, A.I.A., as the outside architect. They both agreed to serve. The Commission's decision of 5 October 1978 and these several arrangements complete the creation and structure of the Committee on Certification. The members are the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, ex officio, Edward Pinkowski for the Commission, Herbert W. Levy, A.I.A., as Architectural Advisor, John C. Mitkus or his designee for the City Planning Commission, James Mooney as outside historian and Hyman Myers as outside architect. Furness Bank, Sixth and Spring Garden Streets. Following the decision of the Commission at its meeting of 5 October 1978, the President National Bank received notification of the Commission's intention to certify the Furnesa building at Sixth and Spring Garden Streets. The Bank responded by declining to have the building certified at this time. The Commission adopted its regular procedure in such cases and referred the matter to the Architectural Committee for a recommendation to supplement the staff report of 5 October. MINUTES 3 2 November 1978 Policy on Substantial Reconstruction. The Historical Commission members were again discussed the matter of substantial reconstruction of a building and the question of historical certification. The Historian reviewed the case of 225-227 Spruce Street. The extremely poor structural condition of this house necessitates extensive demolition and reconstruction. This raised the question of the historicity of a substantially reconstructed, rather than restored, building. The Commission's Architectural Advisor reported that the matter had been discussed at great length by the members of the Architectural Committee and that the Committee agreed to recommend to the Commission that each case be treated on an ad hoc basis. A motion was made to accept the recommendation of the Committee. This was seconded and carried. Pennsylvania Heritage article on 301 Pine Street. Mr. Pinkowski asked that this matter be tabled until a later time. NEW BUSINESS Atwater Kent Museum
that each case be treated on an ad hoc basis. A motion was made to accept the recommendation of the Committee. This was seconded and carried. Pennsylvania Heritage article on 301 Pine Street. Mr. Pinkowski asked that this matter be tabled until a later time. NEW BUSINESS Atwater Kent Museum and Philadelphia Archaeology. Dr. Tyler reported to the Commission the intention of the Director of the Atwater Kent Museum to establish a program at the Museum for the deposit of the artifacts obtained through city-sponsored digs. Presently these artifacts are being stored at scattered sites throughout the city. The program would include space for laboratory facilities to catalogue and process the items as well as space for their exhibition. Since the responsibility for the artifacts is shared by the Redevelopment Authority and other city agencies, the Historian suggested that the Historical Commission might be of some assistance in promoting such a program. The Commission staff would cooperate with the Atwater Kent Museum in arranging with the various departments for the collection and storage of the artifacts. The Commission members agreed that before full support could be pledged, a definite program established by the Museum staff and approved by the Atwater Kent Museum Board, must be presented to the Historical Commission for review. After some discussion, it was agreed to send a letter to the Director of the Museum, Gary Christopher, expressing an interest in the project and requesting an outline of his proposed program. MINUTES 4 2 November 1978 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Patricia Siemdtkowski Executive Assistant to the Chairman PSmk