The Philadelphia Historical Commission’s committee on historic designation will consider several West Philly properties, including two churches, during a Dec. 14 meeting. The owners of one West Philly property, on the 4000 block of Chestnut Street, is asking for its designation to be rescinded.

Designation means that a property would be placed on the Register of Historic Places and the Historical Commission would serve as the regulatory body for the property. Every alteration that requires a building permit would go before the commission.

The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at 1515 Arch St., Room 18-029.

Here are the properties. Click on the link to see a PDF of the application. 

• 22-26 S. 40th St.

The West Philadelphia Community Mental Health Consortium owns this property. This mansard-roofed building sits at the northwest corner of 40th and Ludlow. It has been changed significantly over the years and its facade is now largely covered with metal panels, which conceals and Frank Furness designed building completed in 1876.

• 4101-4105 Ludlow Street

Currently the St. James Pentecostal Church, the red and white church was built in 1884 and rebuilt in 1914. There has been a church at that location since 1845. The Monumental Baptist Church is an important institution in the history of Philadelphia. The church was listed for sale over the summer.

• 435-41 North 38th Street

This church building, located on 38th Street between Spring Garden and Hamilton, is currently home to the Mount Pleasant Primitive Baptist Church. It was designed as a Methodist church and was for many years the home of Christ Methodist Episcopal Church. The “Gothic-revival style” church was opened in 1870.

435-441 N.38th St presently (above) and in the early 20th Century (below) (Photos from the Historical Commission applications).

• 3827-33 Powelton Ave.

The building is currently owned by the Rudolphy/Mercy-Douglass Home for the Blind and was opened in 1880 as the Pennsylvania Industrial Home for Blind Women. The four-story, red brick building sits across from Presbyterian Hospital on the northeast corner of Powelton and Saunders.

• The west side of the 420 block of S. 42nd Street.

This application applies to the eight three-story, semi-detached red brick, Queen Anne style homes on 42nd Street between Osage and Baltimore Avenues. A proposal to convert one of the these homes, the former fraternity house at 422 S. 42nd, into apartments is currently before the Spruce Hill zoning committee.

• 4054 Chestnut Street

The owner of this property, Off Penn Properties, is asking that it be removed from the historic registry. The property was added over the summer as part of rush to designate several buildings the south side of the 4000 block of Chestnut as developers proposed to demolish several of the buildings. This building was not slated for demolition and the owners are arguing that it was included on the list without discussion and that the building has been altered significantly compared to other properties on the block.