Scattered Sites Historic Survey Methodology for Frankford Executive

Transcription

Executive Summary - Scattered Sites Historic Survey Methodology for Frankford
This project was undertaken to develop a methodology for surveying scattered sites within
the city of Philadelphia, building on knowledge gained in an earlier Parkside survey of
rowhouse blocks, and one of a non-urban area in nearby Tredyffrin Township. Both projects
had benefited from the use of GIS and database technology with improved the speed and
accuracy of the survey. The goal of this project was to determine how well the historic atlas
plates and GIS City data could help define an efficient survey plan in a scattered study area.
In Frankford, it was assumed that survey resources would be widely scattered throughout
areas that have completely changed with development, new roads and realignments, and
massive transportation and hydrology network changes. This project did not include historic
research, and target neighborhoods for survey had not been defined. A document written in
1912 celebrating the history and industry of Frankford was used to obtain many of the
potential survey sites. Based primarily on references infrom this document, a Frankford
Study Area GIS was established from Frankford Creek on the west boundary, to the
Frankford Transportation Center at Bustleton and Bridge on the northeast, down to the
Frankford U.S. Arsenal on the southeast border. This study area was approximately 1,850
acres and contained a diverse set of industrial, transportation, religious, business, civic,
school and residential resources.
High resolution scans of 1910 and 1929 atlas plates were obtained from the Athenaeum of
Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network. This period captures the
height of the industrial growth and the end of the historic main street focus after the
installation of the Frankford Elevated Rail in 1922. These digital maps were geo-referenced
into the Frankford Study Area GIS and used to find the 1912 Booklet references, and select
new sites of interest. A field survey determined which of the potential sites still exist and
photo-documented 47 sites using the survey reports developed for the Parkside survey. A
full materials and style survey was not completed.
The results of this project are mixed. The historic atlas plates have a vast amount of
information and can be very useful geo-referenced into a GIS as finding aids. However,
without specific targets from knowledgeable historians of the area, there is actually too much
information in the map images, and the potentials become overwhelming. Over 300 sites
were inspected and researched to yield the current Frankford Study Area GIS of 117 sites,
~45 of which have been physically documented. Without good address details, the computer
software could not speed up addressing/locating these sites. The map images were too large
to exactly geo-reference to match current parcels over a large area and it was determined that
much smaller map images should be processed for defined neighborhood surveys.
These findings are important for future surveys. We recommend that the statement of
significance be written for each area only after a discussion with knowledgeable historians of an area.
The atlas plates can help facilitate such a discussion, but a list of target neighborhoods and
key sites is necessary to streamline the use of the historic atlas imagery in a GIS. Once
targets are defined, the development of the GIS maps and other tools, as used in the earlier
studies, will still speed up the survey and documentation of resources in each study area.
Scattered Sites Historic Survey Methodology for Frankford
Prepared June 2007 by PDP Architects and Judy Peters for Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia
1 I.
Introduction
As described in the proposal of April 10, 2007, this project was undertaken to develop a
Frankford Historic Survey methodology. The Scope of Services, as understood through an
ongoing dialogue with the Preservation Alliance, included the development of a
methodology for surveying scattered sites within the city of Philadelphia that built on the
knowledge gained in an earlier Parkside survey and one of a non-urban area in nearby
Tredyffrin Township.
The understanding is that Philadelphia contains a variety of historic resources, some of
which are concentrated in districts such as the Parkside area, and others which are scattered
within areas that have had more recent development, such as Frankford. This project
attempted to determine whether historic maps and atlases can be combined with current
GIS technology to target potential individual historic resources in a scattered study area.
For Tredyffrin Township, historic maps were used to find key holdings based on location
data from Original Series of Farm Maps, Chester County, PA by J. Breou published in 1883,
Railroad maps from the early 1900s, and marked up USGS maps from past Chester County
surveys. In many cases, finding the over 400 Township sites now located on current GIS
parcel maps would not have been possible without the spatial information pulled from the
historic layers.
For Parkside, current GIS parcel maps matched the locations of the historic resources fairly
well, and were a great aid to speed up the establishment of the base map and base database
of information. The established GIS for Parkside yielded survey maps that allowed graduate
students to quickly identify, photograph and survey about 120 sites in a few hours.
This project did not include any research or historical context setting by knowledgeable
historians of the area. One of the objectives of the study was to determine how well the
historical maps alone could identify survey targets through an intersection of the past spatial
data with current parcel data from the City.
II.
Frankford Historical Background
It is not within the scope of this project to research the history of Frankford, an area of the
23rd Ward of Philadelphia. However, to establish a logical study area, Internet searches
provided information from the Frankford Historical Society1, Wikipedia2, Frankford: A
Souvenir Booklet In Connection with the Historical and Industrial Celebration, published in 19123
(Hereafter called 1912 Booklet) and the historical timeline of Frankford Creek prepared by
Adam Levine.4 These sources provided an understanding of key roads, waterways, industries
and businesses. Many images of historic Frankford can be viewed in the Arcadia Publishing
“Images of America” Series including Frankford by Brian H. Harris, 2005.
On-Line May 2007 at http://www.historicalsocietyoffrankford.org/
On-line May 2007 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankford,_Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania
3 Downloaded full pdf of the booklet April 2007 from http://www.phillyh2o.org/backpages/frankford_1912.htm
4 Viewed on-Line May 2007 at http://www.phillyh2o.org/backpages/Frankford_Timeline.htm
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2 According to the 1912 Booklet, Frankford experienced the first big influx of new residents in
1793 as people moved out of center city Philadelphia due to yellow fever fears. At the time
of incorporation as a borough (March 7, 1800) there were 1,000 people. Growth from that
time was given as:
1830: 1843 residents
1870: 12,000 residents
1912: 35,000 residents
Industry growth increased starting around 1840. According to Levine’s historical timeline of
Frankford Creek “According to the 1849 Dripps Map, … there were more than 30 mills and
factories located along the main and tributary creeks. Most manufactured some form of
textiles, but others made chemicals, iron products and tools, flour, umbrella sticks, etc.” The
borough of Frankford was annexed by the City of Philadelphia in the Consolidation act of
1854 and became part of the 23rd Ward.
By 1912, this area was well developed with a local workforce living in a mix of industry
supplied housing, apartments and row houses near the industrial areas, as well as fine
residential neighborhoods further north. Businesses and civic buildings were concentrated
along Frankford Avenue, and churches of all denominations were located throughout
Frankford. The publication of the 1912 Booklet was in celebration of both Frankford history
and industry and had hundreds of references to sites felt to be significant at the time. Based
on these mentions, the study area boundaries were set to include a diverse set of survey
targets to include the Arsenal, industrial sites, businesses, civic buildings, churches, schools
and residences. It was also hoped that industry-owned housing could be identified.
3 III.
Map Research and Acquisition
During a meeting with Bruce Laverty and staff at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, digital map
sources were reviewed for the 23rd Ward. In a recently completed project for the Free
Library of Philadelphia, a series of Atlas maps had been scanned, including the 1910
Bromley Atlas.5 It was also determined that the Philadelphia Land Use Maps for 1942 and
1962 were also available courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia Map Collection.
Additionally, there are over 1,000 Hexamer General Surveys of Industrial sites from the time
period of 1866 – 1896, also courtesy of the Free Library of Philadelphia Map Collection.
Many of the Frankford area companies are included. The Atlas for the 23rd & 41st Wards,
published by Bromley in 19296, was available from the Athenaeum of Philadelphia’s
collection, and it was agreed that this project would fund a full high resolution scanning of
this resource. The maps would be available for the project, and would also be added to the
Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network (GPGN). The GeoHistory Network is a public
resource, and is a joint collaboration between Philadelphia archives and groups like
Cartographic Modeling Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania and other GIS professionals.7
Clear details that can be read from the high resolution scans. (1910 map)
The high resolution scanning performed by the Athenaeum creates large digital map images
with very high levels of detail. This allows a researcher to zoom down to the smallest areas
5 Bromley,
G. W. & Company, Atlas of the City of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: Bromley, 1910.
Bromley, G. W. & Company, Atlas of the city of Philadelphia, 23rd & 41st Wards, Bromley: 1929.
7 For more information on the Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network, and to access digital resources currently
available, http://www.philageohistory.org/geohistory/index.cfm
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4 of a map and still be able to read the small text and numerical measurements and markings.
When placed on-line through the GeoHistory website, compression techniques are used so
that such large images can be served efficiently to a user’s browser. Researchers need to
download free plug-ins from Earth Resource Mapping to work with such files. 8 For this
project, the high resolution, highly compressed files were supplied on disk and the ER
Mapper compression and viewer applications were also used to read files that were as large
as 287,500 MB per map plate scan.
For 1910, plates #45 and #46 covered the target survey area. A mosaic was prepared of
these two plates. For 1929, there were many more plates covering the area. Plates #2, #3,
#4, #5, #6, and #7 were processed as one mosaic. Plates #10, #12, and #13 were prepared
as a second mosaic, and Plate #14 was added later as a stand-alone map. These 4 historic
map mosaics were used in the GIS to identify survey targets in conjunction with the sites
noted from the 1912 Booklet. The maps from 1942 and 1962 mentioned above were
evaluated, but were not needed in the Study Area GIS. It was also decided that the Hexamer
General Surveys of industries was not necessary for survey target identification.
Bromley’s 1910 Atlas, Plates #45 and #46
8
Available on-line for download (free and professional editions) at http://www.ermapper.com/
5 Bromley’s 1929 Atlas, A section of the Index Sheet
Example of a raw scanned Atlas Plate #3
6 IV.
GIS Map Layers, Identifying Survey Targets
After reading the 1912 Booklet, approximately 300 sites were documented in a simple
spreadsheet. There were many churches, industrial sites and businesses mentioned, but often
only the cross roads were given for location. This was documented as the first set of data.
Beyond the 1912 Booklet, the National Register list for Philadelphia was checked, as was the
listing from the Philadelphia Historical Commission.
Philadelphia street centerlines, hydrology and parcel 2007 shapefiles downloaded from
PASDA (Pennsylvania Data Access at http://www.pasda.psu.edu/) were added to a new
GIS project. A Frankfort Study Area GIS was set up using the above boundaries as map
extents. A Frankfort Study Area clipping polygon of the boundaries was created and used to
clip out the relevant area polygons and lines from the Philadelphia City files. The resulting
study area is approximately 1,850 acres. Several key streets that have not experienced great
change since 1910 were highlighted: Frankford Avenue, Church Street, Leiper Street,
Oxford Street, Bridge Street, and Bustleton Street. These streets served in a new layer to
provide aid in the georeferencing step with historic map images.
1910 Map Geo-referenced in the Frankford Station area.
7 1929 Map Geo-referenced in the same Frankford Station area. This image shows the
major transportation change that had occurred by that time.
The 1910 mosaic was added to the GIS and geo-referenced to the current Philadelphia data
with the tightest links made along the major streets. With such a large area, the historic map
was able to generally morph and conform well to all neighborhoods, but did not morph
exactly to any. That is a disadvantage to such large geo-referenced images, but for the
purposes of this study, was not considered a major problem. There are thousands of
documented sites on the map. Using the small detailed labels on the 1910 image,
approximately 100 points were added to a new feature class of the Frankfort Study Area
GIS. The goal was to add points that were clearly located and named, and were more likely
to be in existence in 2007. Most of the points matched those already on the 1912 Booklet list.
The three 1929 maps were also added and geo-referenced. Where an address or site was
unclear from the 1910 maps, they were sometimes more obvious on the 1929 map, although
generally, the named sites did not have clear addresses in the any of the three resources, the
1912 Booklet, 1910 Map or 1929 Map.
Through a time-consuming process, the sites were checked between each resource and often
through further searches on the Internet was required to find addresses or determine names.
After this original map research, a map of Survey Potentials was developed to take to the
field. This field survey map had ~35 possible sites for survey to meet our goal of at least 20
diverse sites still in existence. Maps of each part of the Frankfort Study Area GIS were
printed so that current parcel addresses could be matched in the field. (Since the georeferencing is so imprecise on large image files, many of the historic addresses did not match
to the current parcel address of the same number.)
8 The area of the Historical Society of Frankford in 1910 (top left), 1929 (top right) and 2007. None of
these maps use the address used in mailing which is 1507 Orthodox St.
Selection layer of ‘High’ and ‘Maybe’ Potential Sites for the Field Survey.
9 V.
Physical Survey
During the field survey, most of the sites were found, although many had been replaced with
new construction, or were so badly altered as to be unrecognizable. The whole area
palimpsest of roads and waterways is still evident with the Frankfort Transportation Center,
to the northeast, a very active and busy hub, and the Frankford Creek to the west, now
relatively pollution free.
Frankford Transportation Center (left), Frankford Creek (right)
Womrath Park and and several key other green spaces remain. Historic cemeteries at Cedar
Hill, Mt. Sinai and most of the historic church burying grounds are still in existence, except
for the 1811 cemetery mentioned in the 1912 Booklet.
Womrath Park (left), The Chapel at Mt. Sinai Cemetery (right)
The churches were the easiest sites to find, even though some had changed names and
denominations. The large 20 acre site of Frankford Arsenal, closed in 1977, is still intact,
although it is currently being developed and promoted for alternative warehouse, light
industrial and business use. Most of the other large industrial sites have been removed and it
is hard to see that this area was once the home of America’s largest textile and carpet
companies, as well as a leader in umbrellas and hand tools.
10 Globe Dye Works on Torresdale, once one of the largest dyers in America (left), Wallace Wilson Hosiery
Mill abandoned on Orchard (right)
The 1912 Booklet was strangely silent on residential areas and only two residences and two
mill tenement buildings were part of the survey potential list. The tenement houses have
been demolished and no obvious company-owned housing was found in the survey.
However, the hint of substantial homes on Leiper was investigated and several homes were
photographed and added to the Survey sites. A full Frankford survey should target a few
blocks of Leiper for residential sites.
Looking towards Faulkrod on the 4700 block of Leiper, 4647 Leiper Street
A few of the schools remain, including some that were included in the Philadelphia Public
Schools Thematic Nomination. However, most of the schools found on the 1910 map have
been rebuilt, as have many of the civic and service buildings such as the Frankford Library,
the Frankford Hospital, and Post Office.
11 Frankford Library (left), Frankford Hospital (right)
The most difficult area to survey correctly would be the main business center along
Frankford Avenue. The raised rail down the center of Frankford Avenue has completely
changed the character described in the 1912 Booklet. With the rail superstructure in place, it is
almost impossible to view all floors of any of the buildings and all of the photographs had to
be taken at distorted angles. Many of the buildings still show evidence of the historic
materials, particularly at the top floors and at the cornice. However, at the lower story levels,
most buildings have been altered with highly colored retail storefronts and there are many
structures in extremely poor condition. Some of the area is dark and architectural details are
hard to assess, although there definitely are a few sections that appear to have been recently
renovated. A few businesses outside of Frankford Avenue, specifically the Frankford
Grocery Co-op (first of its kind in America, c. 1910) and the large Bell Telephone building
on Leiper and Faulkrod, still remain.
Frankford Avenue Streetscapes
12 Frankford Avenue Streetscapes
Frankford Avenue looking north from Church (left), Looking north from Womrath Park
During the physical survey, a few new sites were added to the survey potentials and
photographs were taken for ~45 of the 117 sites now located on the Frankfort Study Area
GIS. Addresses were checked against building numbers and corrections made where needed.
Many of the sites that were not photographed or surveyed no longer exist, or have been
replaced with new construction. Maps of various types can now be created of this data.
These located/photographed sites were then exported from the GIS to a table that could be
imported into the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia database (PAGP_db.mdb).
This is the database first created for the Parkside survey. The photographs were all named by
street and street number and then batch processed to smaller resolution files for attachment
13 in the database. The list of image filenames was entered into the database image table
manually, since there were only about 45 sites.
VI.
Recommendations
The goal of this project was to determine how well the historic maps and GIS city data could
help to define an efficient survey plan. To be a complete success, the 1910 maps would have
documented clear areas for survey and the marked sites would have lined up well with 2000
era street and parcel maps. That would have allowed a simple transfer of current addressing
to the historic sites.
This was partly possible, but only after a great deal of time working between the many plates
of the 1910 and 1929 maps against a list of sites felt to be important in 1912. Without the aid
of a knowledgeable historian of the area, a great deal of time was wasted trying to find
addresses of sites whose names had changed or where the site had been long demolished. A
list of significant, still existing, sites and neighborhoods of interest would have helped
immensely. Most historic documents do not have clear location information. The Atlas maps
are a great resource to aid in the detective work needed for historical research. However,
they should be the resource used after the basic history and key areas of significance are
developed by people already knowledgeable of the area.
The maps alone are a weak substitute for the aid that a local historical society could provide
in the start of such a project. But they are a great tool for locating the historic resources that
should still be in the study area. Since the GIS maps are infinitely scaleable, the use of digital
map images as layers provides a much easier way to use these large image files for research.
For any future survey area projects, funding should be included to digitize relevant
Philadelphia atlases if they have not yet been digitized.
The map images are so large that a great deal of time can be lost just trying to work with
them in image processing or GIS software. It is recommended that each project include
enough funding to enable the Athenaeum to not only scan the appropriate Atlas of property
data, but to also process the images and serve them through the Philadelphia Geo-History
site. The images will still need to be viewed and saved through the ER Mapper, but the
process will be faster for the researcher.
When it is necessary for a geo-referenced map to line up tightly with current parcels, the
large maps need to be clipped into smaller images, such as a 2-4 block area. For quick overall
discovery, the full map matched primarily to major streets is close enough, but for fine parcel
by parcel surveys, the smaller map images should be used.
If it was the intent to survey hundreds of sites in an area like Frankford, it would be
advisable to obtain the same geodatabase of current parcel and building file data from the
city. That data includes more information than the parcel files available on PASDA. If
hundreds of sites are needed to be set up for survey, it would be more time-efficient to load
the data directly from the geodatabase. In this ‘scattered’ case, our interest was in finding key
sites through the historic maps, so we did not request this data.
14 Based on the experience of this project, the recommended process for future surveys of such
neighborhoods in Philadelphia include:
•
Gather available property maps of the area, Have key maps or atlas plates scanned and
added to the Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network (GPGN).
•
Meet with knowledgeable historians of the area and define the target neighborhoods and
key sites. List the properties and add known addresses.
•
Get MOIS GIS data for the survey area defined.
•
Create a survey area GIS and geo-reference the appropriate maps. Use the larger plate
scans for large areas, but process smaller clips of the maps for neighborhood georeferencing where parcel matching will be critical.
•
Using the defined list and historic maps, locate all sites to be surveyed and create a dot or
polygon layer of the survey targets. Give each property a PhilaCRID. Print off maps for
the surveyors.
•
Field check the survey map and confirm all addresses. Note that there may be a historic
mailing address that will be different from the City named parcel.
•
Load the database with the addresses and PhilaCRID.9
•
If using the PDAs, load the data onto the PDA from the database.
•
Physical survey by students (or volunteers) using handheld PDA and digital cameras.
•
PDA and camera files loaded back into the database or folders set up to receive data.
•
Student (or volunteer) re-naming and proofing of all images
•
Images added to database resulting in full image forms for easy proof-reading.
•
Additional information (significance assessment, available historical info) added into
database, if part of the project objectives.
•
Reports printed from database.
•
Maps developed in GIS using the data joined to the database.
9
As this project progresses, it will be advisable to develop a geodatabase within ArcGIS, instead of using the Access
application first set up for Parkside. New versions of ArcGIS have greater capabilities with each introduction and the
newest versions now handle images within the geodatabase quite well. Adapting our earlier database to a geodatabase
within ArcGIS was not part of the scope, but probably should be done for the next survey. By the time a city-wide
survey is funded, it will also probably be better to use ArcPad or similar mobile GIS input software on a GIS ready
handheld.
15 VII.
Appendix
A. Maps of the Full Frankford Study Area
•
Map of Full Frankford Study Area
•
U.S. Arsenal Area Map
•
Northern Frankford Ave. Map
•
Main Frankford Ave. Map
•
Lower Frankford Ave. Map
•
West Torresdale
•
East Torresdale
B. Survey Forms (47 pages)
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ORT
S
JAME
BAIR
HAW
LING
E
WAK
E
WAR
DELA
E
WAR
DELA
M
TGO
MON
White Hall Baptist Church
ROM
D
FOR
U. S. Arsenal
ERY
ERY
S
REE
M
TGO
MON
DIER
IG
CRA
AY
RAMS
DELAW
ARE EX
NA
HAY
P
L
FAR
TH
HEA
ER
BAK
RE
EMO
DG E
BRI
ITT
WH
Bridesburg Leather Co.
EY
HAG
NER
0 0.010.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.1
Miles
³
FRANKFORD AREA - N. FRANKFORD AVE. AREA
Survey Targets
LE
IP
E
R
Frankford Station
M. Moitz Monuments
AT
T
NN
PR
PE
FO
NK
RD
A
FR
Forum Theatre
HE
R
S
LE
Frankford Elevated, Pratt Street Station
DG
E
W
HA
HE
OR
TH
NE
RA
G
KE
ED
Chas. Disney & Son Marble Works
NN
ILL
RE
BR
TE
NI
DY
SC
OM
Y
OD
E
GO
G
ID
LIN
R
TE
AT
GR
I
SC
BR
CO
NK
HA
W
WA
K
EL
LO
M
AR
RN
VE
TH
O
RO
Wolstencroft Felt Mfg.
IN
G
HA
W
NG
Franklin Smedley Public School
OR
TH
E
AL
LE
DU
DA
RR
FF
IE
LD
AH
Frankford Hospital
RR
Y
LEY
VAL
N
MU
L
IS
O
BE
HA
RR
S
LE
W
C
R
HA
³
Andrew Erdrick Brewery
K
RIC
ERD 0.04
0 0.010.02
0.06
0.08
0.1
Miles
FRANKFORD AREA - MAIN FRANKFORD AVE. AREA
Survey Targets
RO
TT
FIL
LM
O
RE
AH
D
RR
FO
R
DA
SA
Seven Star Hotel
LE
M
4647 Leiper St
NK
4651 Leiper St
FR
A
LE
IP
E
R
D
OXFOR
PI
LL
IN
G
OA
KL
AN
D
AR
FO
U
St. R.R. Depot
LK
R
OM
TO
N
Empire Theatre, Circle Theatre
HA
Waverly Mills
M
Seventh United Presbyterian Church
MA
R
Frankford Library
Historical
Society
of
Frankford
St. Luke's Reformed Episcopal Church
GI
LL
IN
G
Trinity A.M.E. Zion Church
GA
RE
Ice Factory
FF
IE
LD
ER
T
SC
IN
G
RI
NG
DU
EL
IZA
BE
GI
LL
OD
RB
OV
E
GR
I
TH
PE
NN
HE
T
ME
Irwell Mills
AD
Friends Meeting House, Hicksite Frankford Dispatch
OW
Old Jolly Post Inn
Brass Works, Umbrella Hdwr.
Friends School
HA
TH
O
X
M
SE
LL
E
LL
W
OR
Frankford Grocery Co-op
Campbell African M.E. Bethel Church
0 0.010.02
0.04
1811 Cemetery
³
Baptist Church (Black)
PL
UM
RE
Y
St. Marks Church
E
RN
HA
W
DG
E
PA
U
SE
IT
Y
Aramingo Mills
James Seddon Public School
HE
IN
A
KIN
UN
L
RS
FA
R
HA
W
DO
TH
O
HA
R
IN
G
HE
Marshall Public School
OR
TH
O
LE
S
GI
LL
RN
E
M
R
BE
RY
UL
M
0.06 0.08
0.1
Miles
FRANKFORD AREA - LOWER FRANKFORD AVE. AREA
Aramingo Mills
Survey Targets
TH
St. Marks Church
Wrights Institute UNI
TY
FO
R
Frankford Post Office
Alva Mills
Wheelwright, Webster Warner
Second National Bank
Mutual Machine Works
Frankford Trust Co. UNITY
E
SC
E
GR
I
DG
HE
EN
OM
IM
OG
FR
A
PE
NK
NN
P. & R. R. R. Station
Y
CAYUGA
SE
LE
IP
ER
D
EL
IZ
A
KIN
BE
Frankford Grocery Co-op
Baptist Parochial School
AD
AM
S
RU
4328 Frankford Ave
St. Joachim Catholic ChurchWorrell House
AN
UR
Becker's Bakery
Hebrew Congregation of Frankford
CH
RD
HA
Frankford Presbyterian Church Keystone Emery Works
Star Brewery
WALN
OR
C
LE
IP
E
R
CH
Frankford Baptist Church
OU
CL
W
OM
RA
TH
Decatur Primary School
Police Station Comly Rich House, 4276 Orchard St.
GR
I
SC
O
M
RO
MA
IN
Fire House
S. W. Smith Co. Liquor Dealer
RU
AN
C
TA
AN
W
KA
PA
U
HIR
Rehoboth M.E. Church
Womrath Park
0 0.010.02
G
IG
0.04
S
BR
Masonic
WO
MR
ATH
Hall
E
N
KE
N
TO
G
N
SI
KS
N
AI
NA
R
BE
L
AL
SA
LE
M
DE
M
RO
D
0.06
0.08
0.1
Miles
³
FRANKFORD AREA - W. TORRESDALE AREA
SC
O
LE
IP
E
GR
I
NN
Wallace Wilson Hosiery Mill
CH
AN
SC
GR
I
RO
MA
IN
Fire House
Decatur Primary School
AD
Police Station
C
TA
NA
Comly Rich House, 4276 Orchard St.
AM
LE
M
I NE
SA
S
EPH
JOS
BE
RD
IRE
HA
SH
AN
WO
MR
ATH
Hall
RU
Masonic
RK
Rehoboth M.E. Church
OR
C
AL
N
AI
Womrath Park
BR
S
Old Mill Tenement House 1568 Adams
Old Mill Tenement House 1570 Adams
SA
LEM
TH
K
R
E
AL
G
IG
N
TO
G
N
SI
R
TO
D
ES
AU
EN
AN
W
A
K
S. W. Smith Co. Liquor Dealer Mater Dolorosa Roman Catholic Church (Italian)
WO
MR
AT
H
DE
M
RO
D
HN
OU
CL
JO
OM
RU
UR
WALN
PE
CH
Y
SE
Star Brewery
KIN
R
M
Survey Targets
Friends Meeting House, Waln St
Frankford Presbyterian Church Keystone Emery Works
D
W&R Ford Mfg. Co.
ELL
NY
TACO
ADA
MS
FR
A
NK
FO
R
R
WOR
WORRE
LL
PA
UL
WORRE
LL
Frankford Creek
Frankford Creek Bridge
0 0.010.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.1
Miles
³
FRANKFORD AREA - E. TORRESDALE AREA
PE
Three Arch Hotel
Survey Targets
T
ER
Orthodox Mar Thoma M.E. Church
GH
LIN
GIL
LE
S
RE
RTH
WO
Edge Tool Works
AM
Y
SE
R
TO
RB
UND
EDM
M
HA
KIN
DA
HE
X
AN
JO
NE
RE T
DO
G
IN
LL
GI
TM
DI
HI
P
SE
A
MARG
O
TH
OR
S. S. White Dental Mfy.
WILMOT
UM
PL
NA
G
ELIN
WAK
AR
C
TA
AN
W
A
K
Emerald Cotton and Woolen Mills
Globe Dye Works
N
TRE
TON
Delta File Works
Berkshire Mfg. Co.
N
TACO
Smedley Bros. Co Lumber
IUS
BUCK
S
JAME
Y
AN
RCH
OSE
MELR
D
AR
AW
L
E
E
E
0 0.010.02
AM
St. Valentine's Catholic Church (Polish)
AR
DUNC
CHU
Miller Lock Co.
XP
IN
G
O
Greek Orthodox Church
Orthodox Methodist Episcopal Church
0.04
D
E
AR
AR AW
AW EL
D
EL
0.06
0.08
E
0.1
Miles
³
PRESERVATION DESIGN PARTNERSHIP
Dominique M. Hawkins, AIA, Principal
S C A T T E R E D H I S T O RI C R E S O U R C E S S U RV E Y M E T H O D O L O G Y
FRANKFORD, PHILADELPHIA
Prepared for
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
2979 West School House Lane
Kenilworth K1104
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19144
telephone/facsimile: 215 . 842 . 3388
e-mail: [email protected]
May 2007
PRESERVATION DESIGN PARTNERSHIP
Dominique M. Hawkins, AIA, Principal
S C A T T E R E D H I S T O RI C R E S O U R C E S S U RV E Y M E T H O D O L O G Y
FRANKFORD, PHILADELPHIA
Prepared for
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
2979 West School House Lane
Kenilworth K1104
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19144
telephone/facsimile: 215 . 842 . 3388
e-mail: [email protected]
This report has been funded in part by a grant from the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
May 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .............................................................................................1
Project Team ........................................................................................... 1
Project Methodology ............................................................................. 2
Recommendations for Future Surveys ............................................... 3
Attachments:
Scattered Sites Historic Survey Methodology for Frankford prepared by
Judy Peters
Project Study Area Maps
•
Map of the complete Frankford Study Area
•
U.S. Arsenal Map
•
Northern Frankford Avenue Map
•
Main Frankford Avenue Map
•
Lower Frankford Avenue Map
•
West Torresdale
•
East Torresdale
Survey Forms for 47 Study Area Parcels
Scattered Historic Resources Survey Methodology for Frankford, Philadelphia
Preservation Design Partnership
May 2007
INTRODUCTION
Preservation Design Partnership (PDP) began discussions with the Preservation Alliance in the fall of
2006 about the development of an electronic historic resources survey methodology to identify
scattered historic sites in Philadelphia, and testing its application in the Frankford neighborhood of
the city.
It was understood from the beginning that in large part the project was an experiment, utilizing
various tools and software to understand what combinations and methodology could work and how
it could be improved upon in the future.
The basis for selecting Frankford as the area for the scattered sites survey included:
•
The Frankford community represents an older Philadelphia neighborhood located outside of
Center City
•
Relatively little historic resource survey documentation has been prepared for Frankford
•
Several historic atlases of Frankford were available for reference during the project
•
Frankford has undergone substantial development and change throughout its history
PROJECT TEAM
With funding provided by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Preservation
Alliance retained Preservation Design Partnership in 2007 to complete the development of the
scattered sites electronic survey methodology in Frankford.
The project was completed by Dominique M. Hawkins, AIA of Preservation Design Partnership,
with Judy Peters completing the majority of the work including all digital information development
and coordination, field survey and photography. Please refer to the “Scattered Sites Historic Survey
Methodology” prepared by Judy Peters for additional information. On behalf of the Preservation
Alliance, John Gallery acted as the Project Director.
Page 1
May 2007
PROJECT METHODOLOGY
In conversations with the Preservation Alliance and the Project Team, it was determined early in the
project to utilize historic atlases in an attempt to locate the scattered historic sites within Frankford.
A similar methodology was utilized by the Project Team in a Historic Resource Survey of Tredyffrin
Township, a rural community, to locate scattered historic sites with good success.
Although this project did not include historic research of the individual properties, a review of the
development of the area indicated that the Frankford Elevated Rail line was installed in 1922,
representing a significant change in the character of the neighborhood. High resolution digital scans
of the area, dating from 1910 were obtained from the Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network;
and the scan of a 1929 Atlas from the Athenaeum of Philadelphia was funded as part of this project.
These atlases were geo-referenced to current GIS maps of the City, resulting in a study area of
approximately 1,850 acres. (It should be noted that the layered atlases did not morph or overlay
consistently on the current GIS map, which did not pose a significant problem for the purposes of
this study, but might present a greater challenge in a larger survey.)
For the purpose of this survey, the Project Team focused on streets within the overlay map area that
had not experienced great change. In an attempt to identify potential resources, a 1912 publication,
Frankford: A Souvenir Booklet in Connection with the Historical and Industrial Celebration, as well as various
web sites were referenced to identify general historical information about the area, and potential
historic resources. (For a more complete list of resources, refer to the “Scattered Sites Historic
Survey Methodology” prepared by Judy Peters.)
In a time-consuming process of comparing the various resources, approximately 35 sites were
identified on the geo-referenced maps that potentially could include historic resources. Attempts
were made to identify street addresses for the sites by referencing each of the resources as well as
utilizing Internet searches. These 35 sites were then included on a Field Survey Map, to allow
potential resources to be located and addresses verified in the field. Similar to the Project Team’s
experience in Parkside, field review identified several inconsistencies between parcel addresses as
recognized by the City of Philadelphia and mailing addresses, adding an additional complication to
the project.
Additional sites were located during the field survey, and preliminary documentation and
photographs were collected for 47 parcels as indicated on the accompanying survey forms. In many
cases, historic resources on these parcels have been demolished or significantly altered, reducing their
architectural integrity and historical significance. In addition, the surveyed parcels were located on
the attached maps.
As a process, it was determined that the layering of historic atlases with current GIS data can provide
a useful tool in the location of historic resources, although it became clear that trying to determine
the locations of historic sites without the benefit of a knowledgeable historian from the area resulted
in a significantly more time consuming process yielding mixed results.
Page 2
May 2007
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE SURVEYS
Based upon the experience gained from this project and looking at the possibility of expanding this
survey to a larger area in the City of Philadelphia, it is recommended that the following methodology
be followed:
1. Determine Period of Significance
One of the critical elements in the process will be to identify a period of significance for a
study area that relates to each specific neighborhood. This effort should be coordinated
through local historical research as well as the context of the history and development of the
City of Philadelphia.
2. Initial Meetings with Stakeholders
To ensure that all parties involved in the process understood their roles and responsibilities,
and to establish realistic expectations for the completed work, it is necessary to hold several
meetings between the Project Team and stakeholders including local neighborhood
representatives, the Philadelphia Historical Commission, and Philadelphia’s Information
Technology representatives. These meetings will help define the project parameters, survey
area, what data would be collected, and how it would be presented both electronically and in
a report format. The meetings can also allow coordination of efforts and assigning of tasks
and responsibilities associated with documentation preparation.
3. Obtain Electronic Data from Philadelphia
For the information to be as relevant as possible, it needed to be linked to specific parcels.
To do this, it is necessary to obtain electronic data from the City including the geo-database
with special data, parcel data and real estate data to provide the basis for the information
gathering and project mapping.
4. Gather Available Historic Atlases
Identify and provide high-resolution scans of the available historic atlases dating up to and
just beyond the end of the period of significance, and add the electronic files to the Greater
Philadelphia GeoHistory Network. This will facilitate navigation and use of the files be
researchers and data developers.
5. Create a Survey Area
Create a survey area based upon GIS maps with geo-referenced historic atlases.
6. Identify Historic Resources / Areas
A knowledgeable historian or local representative is needed to identify potential significant
historic sites based upon their understanding of the area through documentation and/or
windshield surveys. This will allow areas and individual resources or areas to be targeted for
digital map research and capture significant resource beyond the period of significance or
associated with a significant event at a site.
7. Create a Project Walk-Through Map
Locate the identified historic resources and areas onto the geo-referenced GIS map. Provide
maps for field review of condition of resources (i.e. demolitions) and addresses.
8. Field Review of Project Survey Area
This is a critical step in the process that should not be overlooked. The principal purpose of
the field review of the project survey area is to verify the accuracy of the walk-through map
and identify any anomalies in the street addresses, numbers and shapes of parcels to assure
Page 3
May 2007
that the data collected as part of the historic resources survey correlates to city data
information. Even in a city of row houses, subdivisions or merging of parcels, parks, twins,
condos, etc. can be mapped in a way that does not correlate with the visual rhythm of the
streetscape as perceived by a surveyor.
9. Assign a PhilaCRID Number
A PhilaCRID Number (Philadelphia Cultural Resource Identification Number) is a unique
number to track a historic resource or property. The number is not related to the level of
importance of the resource, but rather a way of tracking its specific data and location.
Multiple resources on a single parcel, such as a principal house, carriage house, and sculpture
can each be tracked with individual numbers. This allows data to be entered for each
separately, and if the parcel is later subdivided, allows the information to remain linked to
the individual resource. It is often best to assign the numbers in the sorting sequence that
the data will ultimately be presented, such as sequentially down each side of a block from
east to west and south to north.
10. Create a PhilaCRID Mapping and Data Layer
It is likely that the field review will require some adjustments to the study area map. A
PhilaCRID map layer should be completed that edits the existing parcel map to reflect actual
survey conditions. This might require digitizing missing parcels. With the revised mapping
layer in place, a data layer for the historic survey could be created, linked to specific
resources.
11. Load Table from Data Layer to Database
The data layer is loaded into a database that includes the historic resources survey fields
primarily through a series of drop-down menus. The information fields are similar to those
utilized by PHMC, although modified to meet the Philadelphia Historical Commission’s
requirements.
12. Load Historical Information into Database
Ideally the historical data for each property should be pre-loaded into the database for
reference during the field work.
13. Load Data onto PDAs
Select the information from the database that should be pre-loaded onto the PDAs with
HandDBase software. This should include address and parcel references, fields for
information to be collected in survey, and can include historical information such as
construction dates and architects.
14. Provide Field Surveyor Training
Given the varied levels of expertise and understanding of building features, materials and
styles, it is prudent to provide thorough field surveyor training. This training should include:
•
Utilization of the PDAs, digital cameras and any other equipment;
•
Explanation of how data should be collected and how to note any discrepancies;
•
A surveyor walk-through to the study area to develop and understanding of typical
features, materials, styles and other terminology; and
•
If the study area includes varied resource types, materials, features and/or styles; is
sizable; or will be surveyed by various teams; it is highly recommended that a survey
guide be prepared for the proposed study area. This guide can be a “cheat sheet”
for surveyors and include photographs of materials, features and styles found in the
Page 4
May 2007
study area with captions identifying appropriate terminology to be entered into the
PDA.
15. Complete Field Survey
Utilizing PDAs and digital cameras, record the information for each property in the field.
This work should ideally be completed between late fall and early spring when there are no
leaves on the trees.
16. Download Images
All of the images taken during the field survey should be downloaded immediately and
checked for clarity. In addition, the photographs should each be renamed to correlate with
the property address and CRID Number. The recommended naming procedure is
StreetName_Number_PhilaCRID_PhotoNumber (i.e. Adams_1568_1075_1). The images
should all be copied and resized to thumbnails, renamed with a suffix, and saved to an image
table in the database. Both the original full-size images and the thumbnails attached to the
database are submitted as part of the final nomination package.
17. Download Data
Download the data from the PDAs into the database.
18. Add Additional Data and Assessment of Significance
If the historical information was not previously loaded into the database, or if additional
information has been learned, it can be added to the database. A knowledgeable individual
should also make a determination regarding the current assessment of significance for each
resource.
19. Edit the Information
Keeping in mind that this type of survey project involves several people or teams
simultaneously entering data in the field, it was impossible to ensure quality control while the
work was being completed by the surveyors. It is therefore critical that adequate time be
allocated to edit the data by individuals with sufficient expertise to ensure accurate
information. This should be accomplished both by reviewing the data electronically in a
table, a property by property review in the electronic form, and ultimately a printed draft
copy of the report.
20. Print Out Paper Report
Several draft printouts might be necessary to allow for thorough editing of the information
prior to the printing of the final report.
21. Create GIS Maps of Historic Resources
Maps of the study area can be produced using the data tables through GIS mapping. The
maps can be correlated to any data field in the database including the date of construction,
assessment of significance, current or past use of resource, materials, etc.
22. Complete Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination (If Applicable)
Complete the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places Nomination form and verify that the
statement of significance and historic resources boundaries correlate with the assessments of
significance entered for each of the individual properties.
23. Provide Final Electronic and Paper Copies of the Documentation Package
Page 5
May 2007

Scattered Sites Historic Survey Methodology for Frankford Executive

Transcription

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