{"nrhp_refnum":"12001045","name":"Penn Towers","other_names":["The Sterling"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1815 John F. Kennedy Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":39.95660158100003,"lon":-75.17018933299994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2012-12-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Penn Towers, now called The Sterling, is a 29-story steel-frame and brick curtain wall building at 1815 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Philadelphia, combining parking, retail, offices and apartments on an entire block. It was designed by Samuel Oshiver and built on land owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad above the railroad tunnel west of City Hall.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is an important example of Philadelphia's post-World War II downtown redevelopment and of a regional, expressive modern design that uses bold color and materials to separate commercial and residential functions. It is presented as a strong example of the early megastructure type and as the best remaining example of this regional modern mode after the demolition of the neighboring Penn-Sheraton Hotel. The building is said to retain its integrity, including the arcade, strip windows and rooftop pool.","narrative":"Penn Towers occupies the entire block along the north side of the 1800 block of John F. Kennedy Boulevard in central Philadelphia. Designed by Samuel Oshiver and completed in 1961 on a site above the Pennsylvania Railroad tunnel that serves Suburban Station, the 29-story steel-frame and brick building combines parking, retail, offices and apartments. Its four-story base is screened by arcades with piers clad in patterned green marble, while the apartment floors have continuous strip windows set in pale grey brick curtain walls. A central elevator tower, expressed as a vertical slash, runs the height of the main façade. The building holds 535 units, from studios to four-bedroom penthouses, and has a roof level with a swimming pool, cabanas and fitness center. It is regarded as a notable regional example of modern high-rise design that used bold color and contrasting materials to separate functions, and it was built as part of the railroad's redevelopment of the area west of City Hall.","period_of_significance":"1961","architect_builder":"Samuel Oshiver (architect)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement","criteria":["C"],"status_note":null,"vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:10:27.571504-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/12001045.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12001045/68580428e1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12001045/68580428e1-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Penn_Towers_Philly_from_S.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Penn_Towers_Philly_from_S.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71996994","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139766275"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/penn-towers-12001045/"}