Girard Group
Also known as: Piers 3 and 5 North
Why it's listed
Completed in 1923 on the Delaware River waterfront in Philadelphia, Piers 3 and 5 North form a complex of two finger piers with bulkhead sheds, a range of one-story sheds and a row of two-story offices along Delaware Avenue. The piers are the third phase and near culmination of a $27,000,000 port improvement program begun in 1907. That program brought together federal, state, local and private money, with the city purchasing obsolete piers and designing new ones in-house using reinforced concrete and steel. The U.S. Corps of Engineers dredged the river to a 35-foot channel. The piers are regarded for their combination of industrial architecture and cargo handling technology, including a limestone and terra cotta facade, corner towers with domed cupolas, and a steel and concrete superstructure roofed in a Warren truss. They are linked to the wharves of Stephen Girard in the early nineteenth century, which gives the complex its name.
Significance in brief: The piers are significant for their association with an innovative long-range port improvement program established in 1907, which combined public investment and private enterprise to upgrade the port. They are also notable for their architecture, which the nomination describes as sensitive to organic functionalism, and for their role in new cargo handling technology.
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 83002269, listed May 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Delaware Ave. and Arch St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | May 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83002269 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1923 |
| Architect / builder | Fred Havens, Frederick Snare Corp., Triest Contracting Corp. / John P. Sinkler, Dept. of Engineering, City of Philadelphia |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 15.2 |
| Coordinates | 39.95086, -75.14175 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 83002269.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5564155
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.