Old City Historic District

Central Philadelphia's Old City district is a dense mix of brick warehouses, storefronts, churches and houses laid out within William Penn's 1682 plan of the city. Its commercial core is the main draw, with blocks of early-19th-century warehouses on North Front Street and a catalogue of mid-19th-century facades on Chestnut Street. The John Singer warehouse behind 319 Market Street, built in 1806, is described as the oldest surviving warehouse in Philadelphia. Alongside the commercial blocks are 18th-century residences, including Elfreth's Alley, which dates to the 18th century and has been continuously inhabited. Churches such as Christ Church, built between 1727 and 1744, and St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1769, add to its historic character. Its banks, including the Bank of North America, chartered in 1781, further reflect the city's early financial life.