The Philadelphia Family Court Building also known as Juvenile and Domestic Branches of the Municipal Court, is a historic building registered under
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...
's,
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. The building was constructed between 1938 and 1941. It was occupied on November 25, 1940, by the Juvenile and Domestic Branches of the Municipal Court later known as the
Philadelphia Family Court. In 2014, the Philadelphia Family Court moved to a new location on
Arch Street. As of 2017, the Family Court Building remains unoccupied. In 2020, the City of Philadelphia rescinded a contract with
The Peebles Corporation to renovate the building after years of delay.
It was announced on August 11, 2022, that the
City of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
would redevelop the Family Court Building to house the
African American Museum in Philadelphia
The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) is notable as the first museum funded and built by a municipality to help preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. Opened during the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, th ...
.
History
The building's design follows
Beaux-Arts architecture
Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorpo ...
. Its design, that of the adjacent
Parkway Central Library
Parkway Central Library also known as Free Library or Central Library is the main public library building and administrative headquarters of the Free Library of Philadelphia system. It is the largest library, and only research library, of 54 lib ...
, and their placement on
Logan Circle closely follow that of the
Hôtel de Crillon
Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel () is a historic luxury hotel in Paris which opened in 1909 in a building dating to 1758. Located at the foot of the Champs-Élysées, the Crillon, along with the Hôtel de la Marine, is one of two identical st ...
and the
Hôtel de la Marine on
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
's
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde () is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. ...
. The building was designed by
John T. Windrim and constructed by his chief designer
W. R. Morton Keast (William Richard Morton Keast).
Construction began on September 17, 1938, and the cornerstone was laid on June 20, 1939. The building opened on 1801 Vine Street. According to National Park Service, the building was completed in 1941, however, William Richard Morton Keast states the building was completed and occupied by November 25, 1940.
In 1971, Family Court Building was accepted into the
Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. On March 31, 2014, the Family Court Building was accepted into the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
Description
The building housed the
Philadelphia Family Court from 1941 to 2014. Three stories and the ground level were opened to the public. The building was used as a juvenile court as well as a court for domestic issues.
The building is known for its
mural
A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' is a Spanis ...
s and has been described by Ben Leech, director of advocacy at the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, as "a virtual museum of
New Deal art".
Plans had been made by the city to move the Philadelphia Family Court closer to
Market Street. In 2014, the
Peebles Corporation
Peebles Corporation is a privately held real estate investment and development company. The company was founded by Roy Donahue Peebles in 1983 specializing in residential, hospitality, retail, and mixed-use commercial properties.
Developments
...
made a bid to turn the courthouse into a museum and boutique hotel. The Philadelphia Family Court moved to a new location at 1501 Arch Street, leaving the Family Court Building unoccupied.
In November, 2020, The Peebles Corporation's contract to purchase 1801 Vine Street was cancelled by the City of Philadelphia.
The City cited Peebles's delay and inability to secure financing, as well as larger economic trends, as reasons for cancelling Peebles's development bid. Peebles Corporation CEO, Roy Donahue Peebles, said in a statement that the company was “surprised and disappointed by the action taken by PIDC and the City of Philadelphia today to terminate our efforts to build Philadelphia’s first Black-owned hotel. We are puzzled by the motives underlining the rush to terminate now when there are no viable, alternative uses for the structure,” Peebles said. “We are not aware of any major city of Philadelphia contract that has been terminated during this health crisis, begging the question: Why us?” At the time Peebles bid was cancelled, the project had taken over 7 years without any construction, financing, or tenants put in place.
On August 11, 2022, It was announced that the Family Court would house the relocation of the
African American Museum in Philadelphia
The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) is notable as the first museum funded and built by a municipality to help preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. Opened during the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, th ...
and some offices for the
Free Library of Philadelphia. The Former Home of the museum was on Arch Street.
See also
*
*
Parkway Central Library
Parkway Central Library also known as Free Library or Central Library is the main public library building and administrative headquarters of the Free Library of Philadelphia system. It is the largest library, and only research library, of 54 lib ...
*
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
References
External links
Family Court Building article on Law.com
{{Philadelphia
National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia
Logan Square, Philadelphia