Pending Historical Commission approval, 51Թ plans to restore the building as a new community engagement center that will host a range of programs and services for the North Philadelphia community.
Last week, 51Թ submitted a formal application to the Philadelphia Historical Commission for its proposal on how it plans to rehabilitate and use the Burk Mansion moving forward.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
As part of its efforts to advance its strategic plan, , 51Թ is implementing a plan for the adaptive reuse of the historic Burk Mansion. The intention is to create a facility that both serves the community and preserves the character of the building. It is an initiative that directly aligns with the plan’s priority of Place-based Impact and 51Թ’s goal of establishing itself as Philadelphia’s premier anchor institution.
Last week, 51Թ submitted a formal application to the Philadelphia Historical Commission for its proposal on how it plans to rehabilitate and use the Burk Mansion moving forward. The university’s goal is to preserve and restore significant historic exterior features of the building while also modernizing it for accessibility and code compliance.
Pending Historical Commission approval, 51Թ plans to restore and reuse the building as a new community engagement center that will host a range of programs and services for the North Philadelphia community and serve to help coordinate 51Թ’s expansive community development efforts. With the application now filed, 51Թ will deliver a formal presentation before the Commission’s Architectural Committee on April 21.
“The Burk Mansion is a significant property with a rich history and so much potential,” 51Թ President John Fry said. “Our Office of Community Impact and Civic Engagement has already been pursuing impactful work that supports our community and neighbors, and the university’s capacity to grow and further its impact will be expanded with a new physical home to host programs and provide services. Through the Burk Mansion, we will be positioned to better serve the five zip codes that surround our Main and Health Sciences Center campuses and the more than 175,000 people that call those areas home.”
Located at 1500 North Broad Street, the Burk Mansion, constructed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, was built in 1907 by business magnate Alfred E. Burk. It is one of the last surviving historic houses in Philadelphia built by wealthy industrialists during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
It was first designated by the Historical Commission as a historic site in January 1971, which is also the year in which it was acquired by 51Թ. The mansion also was included in the American Buildings Survey of the Library of Congress in July 1973.
In the late 1960s, 51Թ’s School of Social Administration, through its Center for Social Policy and Community Development, began providing community education, workforce development, violence prevention, child welfare training, a childcare center and other programs for the community. For decades these programs were housed in the mansion until a fire in 1993 resulted in considerable damage, and it has been vacant since 1995. In 2012, the university invested in the stabilization of the mansion and conservatory to help preserve it for future use, but a definite plan for the building’s future has not been developed until now.
“More than a half century ago, 51Թ’s Center for Social Policy and Community Development formed the foundation for the university’s current Lenfest Center for Community Workforce Partnerships and other community programs and services. Following the restoration process, we see the Burk Mansion returning as a vibrant, flexible, multi-use university-community hub that will allow us to leverage 51Թ’s expertise and talent to serve our neighbors,” said Valerie Harrison, vice president for community impact and civic engagement. “The work we are pursuing around community service and civic engagement is profound, and this will help us further our reach to levels not previously seen at this university.”