If you drive by the corner of 16th and Mount Vernon streets in Spring Garden, you will see a lot of new homes, but right on the corner is a blight-red building that goes from bad to worse as you pass by. This is more than just a shell of a home waiting for the right developer. At 1601 Mount Vernon St., these collapsing walls can talk.
It takes a second to realize why there is a historical maker out in front of the dilapidated structure. Leading abolitionist and orator Robert Purvis called this home from 1873 to his death in 1898. Purvis worked actively with the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee and served as president of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society from 1845 to 1850. He also led the campaign to repeal Pennsylvania?s law preventing African Americans from voting and also was active in the women?s suffrage movement.
While maintaining the home of a person who was so vital to African American history is an ideal tribute, the bigger picture is Purvis used this property and his other homes in Philadelphia to help slaves escape. The historical marker states this was a ?safe house,? and since the home was built in 1865, we can conclude Purvis used this property prior to moving in after the Civil War. 1601 Mount Vernon St. was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
In 2009, the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia placed the Purvis home on its annual Endangered Properties List. Because of the historical nature of the home, it cannot be altered or demolished without the approval of the Historical Commission. The commision gave the go-ahead for demolition in 2003, but since then, nothing has been done.
The structure is considered unsafe and is surrounded by a chain link fence. In 2011, owner Miguel Santiago went to the Historical Commission again with a plan to redevelop the property. He asked the commission for permission to demolish and rebuild a particularly dangerous part of the building?s east wall; the commission turned down his request.
According to Stephan Salisbury of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Santiago and various city departments have gone back and forth on renovating the historical property. Earlier in 2011, the Common Pleas Court ordered Santiago to stabilize the structure and repair rotting floors. When that did not happen he was fined. And did we mention the near $5,000 in property taxes (according to the Philadelphia Revenue Department) that are adding up?
Let?s not just point the finger at Santiago, whose family has owned the property since the 1970s. He acknowledges the historical significance of the home, but the main thing that stands between a shell and a full restoration is money.
When the historical commission denied Santiago in 2011, it may have been out of frustration, not hindrance. He explained what he wanted to do, but the specific details, like contracts for the development and the funding, were not apparent.
A certain other Philly real estate blog had posted an item in early April stating there was supposed to be some activity starting within six weeks. It is now August and nothing has changed. This buzz was based on a newer sign posted on the building advertising condos. The number on the sign leads to a general voice mail, no company name attached. In previous years Santiago had visions of converting the property into condos. Is this the same pipe dream that has been in the works for the past decade?
Various societies have tried to raise awareness of the building. In the past decade, grants for preservation have dried up, and the city doesn?t have the budget for historical buildings like this. The 2009 Preservation Alliance report indicates the city may be able to acquire the building due to back taxes, but realistically unless someone steps in with a concrete plan and the funding to make something happen this page in Philly?s history is just another boarded up house. The home would be an ideal location for a non-profit organization or a museum that will continue or memorialize Purvis? message of equality.
-By Brooke Hoffman for PhiladelphiaRealEstate.com
Photos by the author
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