The area that will be covered by the “Spruce Hill Historic District.”

UPDATE: The meeting was postponed from June 7 to June 27 due to the smoke pollution in Philadelphia caused by the Canadian wildfires. 

Community members are invited to learn more about the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) proposal to make a large part of its neighborhood, from roughly Ludlow Street in the north to Woodland Avenue in the south and 46th Street in the west to 40th in the east, a historic district recognized by the city. A panel discussion and Q and A will take place on Tuesday, June 27 starting at 7 p.m. at Resurrection Church (42nd and Pine).

The “Spruce Hill Historic District” would provide an added layer of protection of historic structures amid a building boom in the area. Designation could also regulate exterior changes to existing buildings like masonry and window replacement.

The SHCA proposal will be submitted to Philadelphia Historical Commission‘s Committee on Historical Designation, which will conduct information sessions and at least one public hearing on the proposal before sending it before the full Commission.

Powelton Village Civic Association successfully guided through a historic district nomination recently and various parts of the city, including Rittenhouse Square and Society Hill, have had historic districts for decades.

This will be the third formal attempt to get one in Spruce Hill. Efforts failed in 1987 and 2002. But the widespread development in the area that has seen the demolition of several historic buildings, including the 131-year-old former Christ Memorial Reformed Episcopal Church building at 43rd and Chestnut (to make way for an apartment building) and a mid-19th Century Italianate mansion at 40th and Pine (also replaced by an apartment building), could make the difference.