Cope, Edward Drinker, House
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Why it's listed
A three-and-one-half story row house at 2102 Pine Street, built about 1880 in a once fashionable part of central Philadelphia, is faced in local green stone and marked by a mansard roof and a three-story projected bay. Edward Drinker Cope bought it around 1880 with the neighboring 2100 Pine Street, using 2102 as workrooms and storage. After losing most of his inheritance in a New Mexico silver mining venture around 1886, he rented out 2100 and moved into 2102, where he worked among his fossils and manuscripts. Cope, born in Philadelphia in 1840, was credited with about 1,300 scientific titles and is regarded as one of the great American palaeontologists. He died at the house on April 12, 1897. The building is listed for this association rather than for its architecture, which the form describes as unremarkable. The exterior is intact, while the interior has been converted into apartments.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for its association with Edward Drinker Cope, a leading American palaeontologist and natural scientist, who worked and died there in 1897. The form states the building itself is of no architectural importance, so the listing rests on the person and the scientific work associated with the home.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 75001660, listed May 15, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2102 Pine St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | May 15, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001660 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1880-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Science |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated May 15, 1975 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The exterior is described as whole; the interior may retain original features but has been divided into apartments. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.94681, -75.17676 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 75001660.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5342646
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.