The site of the U.S. Naval Asylum in Philadelphia has had a long and varied history, from a country seat of pre-Revolutionary Philadelphia gentry to its impending reinvention as luxury housing.
The 20.7 acre campus at Grays Ferry Avenue served as the Naval Asylum (later called the Naval Home) from the completion of its central building in 1833 to its closing in 1976. It contains three buildings -- the central Biddle Hall flanked by the Surgeon's residence to the left and the...
more »The site of the U.S. Naval Asylum in Philadelphia has had a long and varied history, from a country seat of pre-Revolutionary Philadelphia gentry to its impending reinvention as luxury housing.
The 20.7 acre campus at Grays Ferry Avenue served as the Naval Asylum (later called the Naval Home) from the completion of its central building in 1833 to its closing in 1976. It contains three buildings -- the central Biddle Hall flanked by the Surgeon's residence to the left and the Governor's residence to the right -- designed by architect William Strickland and considered one of the best examples of Greek Revival architecture in the country. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
The property was sold to residential developer Toll Brothers in 1988 for $1,200,000. Toll Brothers neglected the site for many years, not even bothering to secure it from vandals. The beautiful buildings were quickly broken into, vandalized, and covered in spray paint. In February of 2003 a five alarm fire broke out. Preservation experts believe that despite the apparent devastation, much of this National Historic Landmark can be rebuilt. After some time, several trips to court, and continued attention by the the media, the city, preservationists, and neighbors, developer Toll Brothers began working to remove debris, clear the site of weeds and brush, and begin the process of replacing the roof destroyed in the February 3 fire and restoring the building as the centerpiece of a development of luxury homes and condos. In 2005 Toll Brothers finally completed re-construction of the buildings and the building opened once again as a massive luxury housing development. It is now called Naval Square.
« less
