Philadelphia designates the city’s first Black historic district
Philadelphia has designated the city’s first Black historic district as a way to honor its history.
One of Philadelphia’s oldest Black neighborhoods was granted a special designation to honor its history — and potentially stall gentrification.
The vote by the Philadelphia Historical Commission last week came after a yearlong, somewhat controversial push from residents and activists to protect the historically wealthy and Black neighborhood on Christian Street in South Philadelphia from what critics have called “indiscriminate demolition,” or the tearing down of homes to create larger, more lucrative rentals or condos.
In a lengthy application, historians said the neighborhood dubbed “Black Doctors Row” is historically significant because it was considered the “‘main street’ for Philadelphia’s Black elite,” which included prominent Black leaders and professionals, between 1910 and 1945.
The new designation will prevent demolitions from taking place in the six-block neighborhood and add a review process before any proposed changes are made to the outsides of buildings.
About two years ago, some residents became concerned about the future of the neighborhood due to what they say is growing gentrification at the hands of developers who were tearing down buildings in an effort to replace them with luxury condos.
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