1850s buildings will be demolished

A pair of 150-year-old Center City buildings are not historic enough to save from the wrecking ball, the Philadelphia Historical Commission said yesterday.

As a result, a developer's attempt to knock them down to build a parking lot is likely to resume tomorrow.

Neighbors of the former Fernley & Fernley headquarters at 1900 and 1902 Arch St. were scrambling yesterday to justify saving the 1850s-era structures after the city halted demolition on Saturday. Fernley & Fernley, a 122-year-old company specializing in management of professional associations and nonprofit organizations, occupied the building from 1951 to 2004.

The buildings' owner, developer Ronald Caplan's 1900 Arch Street Associates, received a demolition permit on Aug. 14 and on Saturday morning began razing a rear annex that was added in the 1920s. Angry neighbors called 911. The city's Department of Licenses and Inspections stopped work because Caplan had not waited the required 21 days following issuance of the permit on Aug. 14, and he failed to properly post the permit on the property, city spokesman Doug Oliver said.

The Logan Square Neighborhood Association objected this spring when Caplan told members he wanted to tear down the buildings in favor of a parking lot, said association president Rob Stuart.

Caplan could not be reached for comment.

Rachel Munafo, a retired lawyer who lives at the neighboring Kennedy House, thought she could stay the demolition process by nominating the buildings for the city's historic register. She submitted a 16-page application on June 16.

But Munafo didn't know that the buildings - which stand side by side and appear as one structure - would not be protected unless the historical commission accepted the application and scheduled a public hearing on it.

It was only last week that commission staff concluded that the application was "incomplete" - in this case meaning that the Munafo hadn't provided enough historical documentation to put the buildings on the register. Munafo said she was not notified.

"The case that is made is not made well," said Jonathan E. Farnham, executive director of the historical commission. "I understand the frustration of the people in the neighborhood . . . but at this point, the Philadelphia Historical Commission is powerless to block the demolition."

The brick Georgian Revival buildings were built as two, two-story rowhouses; at some point, the top two floors of the corner building were taken down. John Gallery, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, said it is difficult to make a case for preserving that kind of building by itself when it is not part of a historic district.

"I don't think it was inappropriate of the community to try this. It was just going to be a really hard case to make," said Gallery, who said he had advised Logan Square neighbors that the nomination was not likely to be accepted. Gallery said it was "unfortunate" that Caplan and the neighbors could not reach a compromise.

City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke, whose Fifth District includes the properties, said he would like L&I to take pending historical-designation applications into consideration when issuing a permit. Clarke said he would research legislation to require it.

Meanwhile, Munafo yesterday was scrounging up whatever history she could find to complete her application. She found that one of the buildings was owned from 1875 to 1885 by Samuel R. Shipley, scion of the proud abolitionist family of Shipleys.

Her prospects, however, appeared dim.

Oliver, the city's spokesman, said demolition could resume as early as tomorrow, when the 21-day period expires.