UCHS Announces 2009 Technical Assistance Program
Richard Dretsch, UCHS Board Member
The University City Historical Society (UCHS) is, for the third year in a row, sponsoring a Technical Assistance Program (TAP) in partnership with the Community Design Collaborative of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The TAP provides West Philadelphia property owners with two hours of on-site, face-to-face consultation with an architect or building preservation expert.
Most of the residential buildings in University City are over a hundred years old. And while architectural character and history are, in part, what draw many of us to the area, older properties can be a serious technical and financial challenge to maintain. They have special maintenance needs and it can be difficult to know what should be fixed first, who to call, how much it will cost, and which parts of the project are possible to do on your own versus those best left to professionals. The TAP program is designed to address these types of questions. (for more infomation)
Philadelphia
Rowhouse Manual
A practical guide for homeowners
Rachel Simmons Schade,
AIA, Schade and Bolender Architects
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Office of Housing and Community Development
Philadelphia City Planning Commission .
PHOTO ESSAY of University City by Joe Minardi
And, if you would like to see how we look to others with a great eye and camera technique, check out a photo essay by Joe Minardi of shots of the universities, Powelton, Spruce Hill, Cedar Park and Garden Court along with historically correct commentary, including some interiors which look like Joe was on some of our UCHS House Tours.
Thanks, Joe
The Building of West Philadelphia: An Historical Survey of Suburban Architecture
Matt Grubel's web site documenting the "transformation of West Philadelphia from a collection of rural estates and small industrial villages into a suburban development took place largely from the 1850s through the 1920s.... The website has three broad catagories that can be explored; a history of the area, an overview of the architecture, and research tools."
Need
to Repair Your Historic Home?
Then the Philadelphia
Historic Properties Repair Program
may be able to help you!
Historic houses are an integral part of Philadelphia’s unique neighborhoods. From the early “trinities” of Northern Liberties to the Victorians in Germantown’s Tulpehocken neighborhood, from the Italianate rowhouses of Fairmount to the bungalow twins of Girard Estates, all contribute to the appeal and livability of the city’s many communities. Yet maintaining and repairing older houses is sometimes a financial burden on homeowners, especially for those with moderate and low incomes.
The Historic Properties Repair Program (HPRP) is a city-funded initiative that is administered by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. HPRP assists low- and moderate-income homeowners with grants for exterior repairs to their homes so that the historic character of their neighborhoods can be maintained.
What
properties are eligible?
Only owner-occupied residences located in a City of Philadelphia or National
Register historic district or residences individually designated as historic.
Commercial properties and properties with more than three rental units
are not eligible.
What
can HPRP grants be used for?
Exterior repairs and restoration work to residential properties. Examples
are porch repairs, painting, masonry re-pointing, carpentry restoration,
roofing, or window repairs or replacement. Interior work is not eligible.
How
much are the grants?
The grant amount is equal to the cost difference between doing basic (nonhistoric)
repairs and doing authentic restoration work. For example: replacing porch
posts with modern ironwork costs $1,000; replacement with historic wood
columns costs $2,500; a HPRP grant would pay the difference or $1,500,
and the homeowner pays the base amount, or $1,000. The maximum grant is
$20,000 and minimum is $1,500.
Who
does the repair work?
HPRP maintains a list from which the homeowner can choose a pre-qualified
contractor with restoration experience. Contractors not on the current
list may also meet the program’s qualifications.
Who
is eligible for a grant?
To be eligible for a repair grant, your total family annual income must
be less than the income levels shown below, as determined by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development:
| Number of persons in your household | 1 person | 2 persons | 3 persons | 4 persons | 5 persons | 6 persons | 7 persons | 8 persons |
| Income | $38,550 | $44,050 | $49,550 | $55,050 | $59,450 | $63,850 | $68,250 | $72,650 |
Are
there other programs available to help with the cost of basic repairs?
At http:// www.philaloan.com/,
you will find information on a city program that offers low-interest (3%)
loans of up to $25,000 to resident property owners who meet the income
requirements.
Contact:
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia; attention: J. Randall Cotton
1616 Walnut Street, Suite 1620, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Tel: 215.546.1146 x 2; fax: 215.546.1180; email: randy@preservationalliance.com
A New Old Poster...
is
being offered to UCHS members and the public which features the "Architectural
Treasures" of University City in a mosaic of details captured in color
photographs by artist/member Sylvia Barkan for the October 10, 1971 edition
of Discover, the rotogravure magazine of the Philadelphia Bulletin.
Sylvia had long been planning to "redo" this assemblage until
persuaded that the cover was already a beautiful representation of many
of the architectural details of the area (most still with us) and the inscription,
"in a West Philadelphia neighborhood, young families find the joy of
city life amid architectural treasures" seemed as telling then as now.
So rather than messing with an already great thing, we have reproduced it
in an archival ink jet reproduction and offer it to members for $20 (non-members
pay $30) or in a special metal and glass frame for $80 (or $100 for non-members).
Framed examples can be seen in the UCHS Board meeting room at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community and at the University City District, 3940 Chestnut Street.
To order, send your checks to UCHS (P.O. Box 31927, Philadelphia PA 19104) marked "Architectural Treasures posters" in the amounts above. Orders will need to be hand delivered or with special provisions made for getting these items to their new owners. If you live in the area, that means arranging for personal delivery or pick up. If you live elsewhere, we can include the costs of special mailing.