After years of court appearances, fines, and public hearings, efforts to preserve a deteriorating historic Underground Railroad stop in Philadelphia are moving ahead.
Robert Purvis, a famous abolitionist, owned the house at the corner of 16th and Mount Vernon Streets and may have hosted as many as 9,000 African Americans escaping slavery in the property. The house is now listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
In recent years, the Purvis house suffered extensive damage and was on the brink of permanent collapse. The property’s current owner failed to respond to the city’s various attempts to enforce repairs on the historic structure. However, the Spring Garden Community Development Corporation was recently granted conservatorship of the property, allowing the civic association to legally fund repairs and fix the property.
The Spring Garden CDC estimates that ongoing repairs, which have included fixing the internal framing and laying new exterior walls, have cost $109,000 so far. The CDC may recoup these costs whenever the property is sold. However, conservatorship can be financially risky as it depends on cooperation with the owner, and there is no guarantee that the house will sell at its full value.
For many though, seeing this important piece of history preserved is worth the expense. Barbara Wolf, Spring Garden CDC member and official conservator told BillyPen, “We want those historic standards to be met. It was part of our goal.”