Endangered Properties List 2011
| Ninth Annual Endangered Properties List |
| Click images below for more info |
Chinese Cultural and Community Center
125 N. 10th Street, Philadelphia
125 N. 10th Street, Philadelphia
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| Chinese Cultural Center | John Coltrane House |
 |  |
| Joe Frazier's Gym | Kensington Soup Society |
 |  |
| New Frankford Y | Royal Theater |
 |  |
| Spring Garden Post Office Mural | Stiffel Senior Center |
 | |
| Dox Thrash House |
| Significance:
Before the Friendship Gate was erected in 1984, the Chinese Cultural and
Community Center stood as the single most iconic symbol of
Philadelphia’s Chinatown. Behind an elaborate façade assembled from
pieces of the Chinese Pavilion from the 1967 Montreal Expo, the center
was an anchor for generations of Chinatown residents and the public face
of the community for the rest of the city. The center evolved from a
YMCA chapter established in 1955 by T.T. Chang, considered the
unofficial “mayor” of Chinatown for his lifelong efforts in promoting
Chinese culture in Philadelphia. Known for its collection of Chinese
cultural artifacts, classes in language, cooking, and the arts, and for
traditional New Years banquets, the Center suffered a period of slow
decline after Chang's death in 1996. Threat: The center closed permanently in 2007, and the building has stood vacant ever since. Its current owner, a non-profit foundation which grew out of the defunct community center, has limited resources to maintain the structure, portions of which date to the early nineteenth century. Despite its iconic street presence and cultural history, it is not locally designated. Recommendations: Always a popular destination for residents and visitors to Chinatown alike, the building has great potential to be repurposed in a way that would make its operation sustainable. If an appropriate commercial use for the building is identified, listing on the National Register of Historic Places could provide economic incentives for its rehabilitation. |
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