{"nrhp_refnum":"85003160","name":"Scherer, Frank C., Wagon Works","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"801 N. Twenty-seventh St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":39.97053335000004,"lon":-75.18112447999994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-12-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Commerce","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story red brick former wagon factory with an adjacent two-story office building and a later single-story addition, at 801 North 27th Street in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1887 from designs by architect William H. Decker.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the factory is the largest and most architecturally intact surviving wagon works in Philadelphia and a rare survivor of an important local industry. It states that Frank C. Scherer was a cut above the average city wagonmaker, based on his exhibiting at the Carriage and Wagon Builders' Association exhibitions and his membership in the Bourse. It also notes the building was designed by an architect with ties to the city's German brewers.","narrative":"Built in 1887 on North 27th Street in Brewerytown, Philadelphia, this red brick wagon factory was designed by the architect William H. Decker, who had built his practice largely on commissions from the city's German brewers. Frank C. Scherer produced heavy, high-grade wagons here until 1905, supplying brewers, butchers, bottlers, bakers and grocers. The three-story factory has sandstone trim, a dated sandstone stone on its south facade and a signboard reading \"Frank C. Scherer & Sons\" on the west side. The surrounding industrial district grew around the breweries of the 1880s. The building is significant for its scale, its architect-designed plan and its integrity, which the nomination describes as greater than nearly all surviving Philadelphia wagon works. Scherer's exhibition record and membership in a commercial exchange show he ranked above the typical small city shop. Later owners added truck-body production, and the plant became a warehouse in 1923.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"William H. Decker (architect)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The document describes the building as altered and in fair condition, with upper-story windows infilled or covered with tin sheathing; it notes the factory became a warehouse in 1923.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:13:26.392182-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/85003160.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85003160/b308e84199-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85003160/b308e84199-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scherer_Wagon_Works_Philly.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scherer_Wagon_Works_Philly.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"72001151","name":"Fairmount Park","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/fairmount-park-72001151/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997444","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_C._Scherer_Wagon_Works","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5485631"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/scherer-frank-c-wagon-works-85003160/"}