Building Philadelphia: Architecture, History, + Politics

$150 - Includes all 10 lectures!
(early Bird discount valid through Thursday, March 31st)
10 Tuesday + Thursday evenings, 6-8pm, April 7 - May 12
For more detailed info about each lecture, click on "MORE INFO" under each ticket type.

$175 - Includes all 10 lectures!
10 Tuesday + Thursday evenings, 6-8pm, April 7 - May 12
For more detailed info about each lecture, click on "MORE INFO" under each ticket type.

APRIL 7 - Penn’s Plan and the Founding of the City
John Gallery, Former Executive Director of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, investigates William Penn's plans for the grand city in his colony of Pennsylvania. Did you know that Pennsylvania was given to William Penn by the King of England to pay off a debt to his father? It remains the largest grant of land to an individual in history. Learn how Penn took his inheritance and created plans for a major city that would take over 200 years to match his vision. And learn how Philadelphia's current-day form reflects his philosophical ideals and business plans.

APRIL 12 - From Colonial Capitol to the Athens of America: Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival
Richard Webster, PhD, and Professor Emeritus at West Chester University presents a survey of the classic architectural styles of early Philadelphia, including Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival. Explore how these styles, typically all called "Colonial" by the layperson, differ from each other and how their influence can be found in classical Greece and Rome.

APRIL 14 - Romantic Philadelphia: Eclecticism of Style
Richard Webster, PhD, and Professor Emeritus at West Chester University explores the architectural styles of Philadelphia that were popular after the "colonial" era, but before the Victorian era. In this talk Webster presents the eclectic mix of styles, often intermixed in one building, that make up this fascinating period of Philadelphia's architectural history. A must-see lecture for those interested in Philadelphia's unique, older buildings.

APRIL 19 - The Victorian City
Nancy Holst, PhD, surveys the growth of Philadelphia and its architecture during the Victorian era. Illustrated with many of Philadelphia’s most impressive buildings, both extant and lost, this talk explores the expansion of the city, the development of its infrastructure, the increasing professionalization of its architects, and the various period styles now recognized as Victorian.

APRIL 21 - The Hidden City: Archaeology of Philadelphia
Rebecca Yamin, PhD, takes us on a trip down Alice's rabbit hole - digging underneath parking lots, National Park sites, and demolished buildings, she uncovers Philadelphia hidden past through fragments and trash left by our predecessors. Recent sites covered during her talk include the President's house in Independence Mall, Revolutionary camp sites in Valley Forge, and workers' houses where the Pennsylvania Convention Center now stands.

APRIL 26 - Immigration to the City
Join Caroline Golab, PhD at Thomas Jefferson University, for this insightful talk about Philadelphia's various populations and how, why, and when they made their way to Philadelphia - and what they did once they arrived here. From early Swedish and German settlers to Italian and Irish immigrants, to modern-day influxes from Mexico and South-East Asia, this lecture explores who Philadelphia is and how the various waves of immigration have and continue to shape its citizenry.

APRIL 28 - Going on Stilts: The Tall Building in 19th Century Philadelphia
Paula Spilner, PhD at Drexel University, presents this fun look at Philadelphia's earliest skyscrapers. Learn how historians define what a skyscraper is, what forces caused high-rise buildings to emerge in 19th century Philadelphia, and how their effect on Philadelphia's skyline helped to set the stage for Philadelphia to have one the most impressive skylines in the world.

MAY 03 - Philadelphia’s Modern Architectures: The Heroes and the Misfits
William Whitaker, Curator at the University of Pennsylvania's Architectural Archives, presents the remaining examples of modernist architecture scattered around the Greater Philadelphia area. These buildings are only now beginning to be appreciated for their architectural achievements just as many of them have been or are being demolished. Come explore the buildings we grew up with before they are gone forever.

MAY 10 - The Company and/as the City: Architecture at Philadelphia Electric, 1900-1930
Aaron Wunsch, PhD

A city's civic architecture is perhaps the best visible record not only of how it viewed itself at the time of construction, but of its ideals and where it believed it was headed. The newness of electricity in the early 20th century created opportunities for many cities to ensconce these visions in stone and brick. Focusing on central stations for PECO designed by architect John T. Windrim and engineer W. C. L. Eglin, Wunsch explores how these buildings evolved in the context of City-Beautiful-era municipal politics and figured in a showdown of ideals that had both local and national implications.

MAY 12 - Drexel, University City, and the Future of Philadelphia
Richardson Dilworth, PhD, Drexel University

The announcement of Schuylkill Yards, the joint initiative of Drexel University and Brandywine Realty Trust to create a new 14-acre neighborhood just west of 30th Street Station, will likely be remembered as an important moment in the development of Philadelphia, when traditional institutions such as universities and real estate companies used innovative partnerships and took on new roles to seize the initiative in city building. Richardson Dilworth uses the histories of Drexel and University city to suggest some of the key moments of change in Philadelphia that established new trajectories, and what those moments might tell us about the future of the city.

Select this option to add the three FREE tour guide training sessions to your ticketing package. Attendance at all three training sessions is mandatory and are schedule for:

Tuesday, May 31 | 6:00 - 8:00pm
Thursday, June 2 | 6:00 - 8:00pm
Saturday, June 4 | 1:00 - 3:00pm