Building Philadelphia Spring Speaker Series
Virtual Presentations via Zoom
In these lectures, renowned local architects, professors, and historians explore the political, economic, and design trends that drove Philadelphia’s development.
Series Passes are available
- $90 for Preservation Alliance members
- $110 for non-members
All lectures will be recorded and a replay will be available to registered participants.
View our bookstore for a list of book recommendations by our speakers this season!
Enjoy these lectures from your computer, tablet, or smartphone. For assistance please email Vinni Cheng

Tuesday, March 1, 2022, 6PM to 7:30PM
Preservation in Germantown and “Effective Public History”– Dr. David Young, Executive Director of the Delaware Historical Society
Special thanks to our lecture sponsor:

Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 6PM to 7:30PM
Going on Stilts: The Tall Office Building in 19th Century Philadelphia – Dr. Paula Spilner, writer, editor,researcher, and Professor at Drexel University teaching the History of Modern Architecture
Special thanks to our lecture sponsor:

Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 6PM to 7:30PM
Balancing Preservation and Growth at the Wharton Esherick Museum – Julie Siglin, Executive Director of the Wharton Esherick Museum
Special thanks to our lecture sponsor:

Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 6PM to 7:30PM
Frank Furness, Louis Kahn, and the Invention of Philadelphia Modernism – Izzy Kornblatt, architectural critic, historian, and curator
Special thanks to our lecture sponsor:

Tuesday, March 29, 2022, 6PM to 7:30PM
The Road to Equality: Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community, 1950-2022 – Bob Skiba, Curator of Collections at the John J. Wilcox Jr. LGBT Archives at the William Way Community Center in Philadelphia

Tuesday, April 5, 2022, 6PM to 7:30PM
Preserving the Legacy of Coltrane & His Philadelphia Roots– Tonnetta Graham, Founder and current President of the Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation and Homer Jackson, a Philadelphia based interdisciplinary artist

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 6PM to 7:30PM
Remembering Eastern North Philadelphia: A Path to Building Community – Dr. Lynn Mandarano, Associate Professor, Planning and Community Development at Temple University

Tuesday, April 19, 2022, 6PM to 7:30PM
The Early History of Philadelphia’s Black Community – Elizabeth Browne, tour guide and historian in early Philadelphia’s religious and social history
