Eyre, Wilson, House
Why it's listed
This three-story brick row house at 1003 Spruce Street in Philadelphia was built between 1830 and 1835 and reflects the ordinary domestic architecture of its time. It has a fan-shaped window over the main door, shuttered sash windows, a stone-dressed base, a front dormer and a three-story back building joined to the main house by a piazza. Its importance comes from its later occupant, architect Wilson Eyre Jr. (1858-1944), who bought it in 1909, opened his office there in 1910 and made it his home in 1912. From 1913 the office also served his partnership with J. Gilbert McIlvaine. Eyre added a three-story brick rear addition and remodeled the interior but left the front facade alone, so the house looks much as it did when he lived there. Eyre was known for residential designs and for the University of Pennsylvania Museum and the T-Square Club. The interior has since been converted to apartments.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as the home and office of Philadelphia architect Wilson Eyre Jr., who bought it in 1909 and lived and worked there until his death in 1944. Eyre was known for residential work and for the University of Pennsylvania Museum and the T-Square Club. The nomination notes the house itself bears no resemblance to an Eyre design and is a typical 19th-century Philadelphia row house.
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 77001183, listed April 13, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1003 Spruce St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | April 13, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001183 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910-1944 |
| Architect / builder | Wilson Eyre, Jr. (architect of the 1909 rear addition and interior remodeling); original architect/builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Federal elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Interior altered into apartments; exterior remains virtually unchanged. Listed as occupied and used as an apartment building. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Washington Square West Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.94615, -75.15835 (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 77001183.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8023054
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.