West Diamond Street Townhouse Historic District

Brownstone town houses built in 1891 to 1893 line the 3000 to 3200 blocks of Diamond Street in North Philadelphia, forming a cluster of larger residences among the region's two- and three-story brick workers' rows. Two builders, William Albrecht and James H. Stevenson, constructed the rows on opposite sides of the street, with Stevenson's north side group designed partly by the architect W. Frisbey Smith. The facades are smooth-dressed brownstone with rough-dressed bases and sills, and the pressed metal cornices carry modillions, rinceaux and finials. Interiors follow the Philadelphia side hall plan, with parlors opening off the stair hall. The houses were built for managers and businessmen who worked in the nearby mills and center city, and the district is valued for the visual unity of its continuous blocks, which are unusual in the area. Its ornament and scale also reflect the social hierarchy of late nineteenth century North Philadelphia.