Naval Square is a

gated community A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...

within the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

that served as the first

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

from 1834 to 1845, when the Naval Academy formed in Annapolis. It continued as a retirement home for sailors and marines and was called the Naval Home until 1976, when the facility was relocated to

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. According to the Office of Housing and Community Development, the neighborhood became official, as the three independent parties, the city of Philadelphia (Office of Housing and Community Development), the OHNP (Office of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation), and Toll Brothers worked to bring the historic location to prominence. The

Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...

said that the neighborhood, considered a condo development, succeeded in bucking "the trend with what buyers cited as a combination of location, security, and newness." Prices for houses ranged from $300,000 to $900,000, with 618 units built.

Features

Set on more than , the campus includes three buildings designed by architect William Strickland that are considered some of the best examples of

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

architecture in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

: Biddle Hall (the 1833 main building), the surgeon's residence and the governor's residence. NavalSquareFromBainbridgeStreet

A unique notable feature of Naval Square is that the neighborhood has a "suburban feel" inside the city, unlike other neighborhoods in the city. According to the source, one resident chose the neighborhood because he wanted a home "near bars, but not in them." ''The

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' states that Naval Square is part of a trend of the city's

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

, driven by new tax abatement policies. The boundaries of the neighborhood are set by the surrounding brick wall on Grays Ferry Avenue to the east, Bainbridge Street to the north, Schuylkill Avenue to the west, and Christian Street to the south. The

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, also known by its acronym CHOP, is a children's hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its primary campus is located in the University City, Philadelphia, University City neighborhood of West Philadelph ...

will be building three new 26-story towers next door to this community in the Schuylkill neighborhood, just outside the gated community, by 2017.

History

For seven years, from 1838 until 1845, the campus housed the Philadelphia Naval School, a precursor to the

. Beginning in 1838, midshipmen approaching examinations for promotion were assigned to the school for eight months of study. In 1842, William Chauvenet was placed in charge of the school and formalized much of the study. When the Naval Academy was formed in 1845, four of the seven faculty members came from the Philadelphia school. On July 1, 1889, its name was changed to Naval Home. In 1976, the Naval Home was moved to

Gulfport, Mississippi Gulfport ( ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, and its co-county seat. It had a population of 72,926 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Mississippi, second-most populous ...

, after it was determined that the Philadelphia facility could not be economically expanded and modernized. The historic section of the neighborhood was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. In 1988, the property was sold to residential developer Toll Brothers. The main building was damaged by

arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

ists in 2003. It has since been restored as luxury condominiums. In 2004, Toll Brothers began the first phase of development, with 345 condominiums. In 2009, the firm sold 220 condos and 74 townhomes.

References

External links

Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections LibrariesNaval SquareRecords of the U.S. Naval Home, Philadelphia, 1831-1936, MS 247
held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy *

Historic American Buildings Survey The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

(HABS) documentation, filed under Gray's Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA: ** ** ** ** ** {{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Neighborhoods in Philadelphia Gated communities in Pennsylvania Southwest Center City, Philadelphia Hospital buildings completed in 1827 Hospital buildings completed in 1833 Military academies of the United States History of Philadelphia National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Hospitals in Philadelphia Closed installations of the United States Navy Old soldiers' homes in the United States 1827 establishments in Pennsylvania Historic American Buildings Survey in Philadelphia National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia

Features

History

See also

References

External links