Assumption or Demolition?

by Emily Steinberg

The Church of the Assumption, located at 11th & Spring Garden Streets is slated for demolition. Built in 1848-49 and designed by American architect Patrick Charles Keely, the church is one of the last architecturally interesting buildings still standing on Spring Garden below Broad Street. Today this portion of the once proud, broad boulevard resembles a comb missing huge sections of teeth.

The imminent demise of the church is a multi-pronged saga, a tangled web of bureaucratic oversight and lack of vision, that is all too familiar in Philadelphia. The Callowhill Neighborhood Association is leading the fight to save the church and yesterday appealed the demolition order at the L&I Board of Review. (see links below for detailed articles on the story).

My question is, in light of the many one-of-a-kind buildings we have already lost due to a toxic mix of civic short-sighted-ness and greed, when will we realize that buildings like the Church of the Assumption are essential to the fabric of Philadelphia's streetscape? These buildings define our unique identity. I'm not advocating that every single 150 year old building be saved. Cities are living organisms which each generation builds onto, adds to and edits. But it is important to remember that we don't build structures like this today. Once they are gone, they are gone for good. Philadelphia needs to commit to finding new uses for these structures. Below are two important examples of demolished Philadelphia architecture.

Western Savings Fund Society Broad Street Station Demolished 1953

10th & Walnut Street

Demolished 1967

Related articles:

Preservation Row: Church of the Assumption

Changing Skyline: Historic Church of the Assumption needs buyer, not wrecking ball

Historic Church to be torn down

Farewell to Philly's Church of Assumption

World Class City or Ride The Ducks?

Baton Mouche boats on the Seine, Paris

by Emily Steinberg

The news that Mayor Nutter is re-evaluating allowing Ride the Ducks on the Schuylkill River is good for Philadelphia. We have just created a lovely river park that is well loved and used by citizens and tourists alike on the banks of the Schuylkill. Why do we have to go and plop the ugly ducks into the equation? Why must we endure these quacking, cumbersome, and let's not forget lethal, vehicles riding around beautiful Logan Circle, past The New Barnes Foundation and up the Parkway as they make their way to the River?

If we want to be a world class city that attracts the world to visit, why do we continue to allow such low class outfits to infiltrate and ruin our city? River boats don't have to be ugly ducklings look to Paris and the Baton Mouches on the Seine. Mayor Nutter, don't allow Ride the Ducks on the Schuylkill. Allow Philadelphia her dignity.

South Street Bridge

South Street Bridge, Philadelphia

Pont Nuef Bridge, Paris

by Emily Steinberg

After walking over the new South Street bridge on Sunday, I was left feeling underwhelmed and mad. The aesthetic differences between Philadelphia and Paris are clear in so many places, but perhaps no where as clear as in the design of our bridges. In Paris, the bridges are powerful, elegant connectors. Here, we get what resembles a new entry way to a suburban mall. The new South Street Bridge would be more at home in Houston, Texas. It has nothing to do with, nor responds to Philadelphia. What a sad and huge missed opportunity.