417 S. 9th Street at the Northeast corner of Lombard Street and Ninth Street is significant as a historic building in Philadelphia and should be listed individually on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places again in 2021. 417 S. 9th Street fulfills Designation Criteria (a) and (c), which are delineated in paragraph 5 of the City’s “Historic Buildings” ordinance, section 14-2007 of the Philadelphia Code. 417 S. 9th Street:
a) Has significant character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City, Commonwealth, or Nation or is associated with the life of a person significant to the past.
c) Reflects the environment in an era characterized by its distinctive architectural style.
417 S. 9th Street fulfills Designation Criteria (a) and (c), which are delineated in paragraph 5 of the City’s “Historic Buildings” ordinance, section 14-2007 of the Philadelphia Code. Satisfying Criteria (a), 417 S. 9th Street is of great interest or worth, and it is linked to influential individuals such as Reverend J. Wheaton Smith, D.D. and the Levins (Abraham Levin, Anna Levin, Robert Levin, Marcia Levin) in the development and growth of the City of Philadelphia. Satisfying Criteria (c), 417 S. 9th Street represents an era of rowhomes typologies that include a stepping-down attached back building with a historical frame kitchen. The number of these rowhomes would have been much more if not for the 1961 Washington Square Redevelopment Plan. 417 S. 9th Street fully satisfied the Philadelphia Historical Commission’s criteria for designation and is eligible for listing on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.
