Pennsylvania Railroad Office Building

The story

Written by AI from this property's National Register nomination and the record above; every sentence is checked against its sources before it appears here. Corrections: privacy@treealive.com

The Pennsylvania Railroad Office Building is a Classical Revival building at 3175 John F. Kennedy Blvd. in Philadelphia, built in 1927.

Why it's listed

The building was listed in the National Register in 2003 under criteria A and C, with state significance in transportation and architecture. Its period of significance runs from 1927 to 1952, reflecting its 1927 construction as the railroad's main clerical offices.

Physical character

It is a 14-story, E-shaped tower of buff brick on a four-story limestone and terra cotta base, with a granite foundation and a synthetic-roofed gambrel roof. The facade has terra cotta spandrel panels, a denticulated limestone cornice, a recessed parapet, and original 1/1 metal windows. The cafeteria was renovated in 1955, the marble cladding replaced and corridors renovated in 1963, granite entrance surrounds added at both entrances in the 1960s, and partition walls removed by Conrail in the 1980s.

Historical context

The Pennsylvania Railroad signed the Philadelphia Improvements Project agreement with the city in 1925, and opened the building in 1927 as its clerical offices, used through 1952. Food Fair Stores acquired it for offices by 1962; Conrail became owner in 1976 after Penn Central's restructuring. At the time of its listing, the building was vacant.