ABOUT THE SURVEY
It is surprising that a city with such a wealth of historic resources as Philadelphia has never conducted a citywide survey to identify assets and determine which are most worthy of protection and preservation. According to a study conducted by the Cultural Resources Consulting Group for the Preservation Alliance only 4% of the properties in the city have ever been evaluated in terms of their historic significance. The last period in which any surveys were conducted was around 1980. Past surveys, and consequently listings on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, have focused on colonial resources and on Center City. Other periods and other sections of the city are woefully underrepresented.
Conducting a survey of a city as large as Philadelphia and as rich in historic resources is a very difficult and challenging undertaking. For several years the Preservation Alliance has been experimenting with the use of contemporary technology to simplify such an undertaking. At the same time, the Alliance and its consultants are also evaluating the way historic atlases and maps might be used to simplify such a survey and focus on those sections of the city where historic resources are most likely to be concentrated.
By mid-2009, the Alliance expects to settle on a methodology for conducting a citywide survey. It is likely that such a survey will take two to three years to complete. In the meantime, community organizations and individual residents are encouraged to submit suggestions of important historic resources in their own neighborhoods to help begin to develop a database of historic sites throughout the city.
The following maps indicate areas of the city that have been designated as or are considered eligible to be National Register Historic Districts and the distribution of properties currently listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
- Map of National Register Districts
- Map of properties listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
