Head House Square
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Head House Square in Philadelphia is a cluster of brick buildings dating from the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Most are two and a half to three and a half stories, with shops on the ground floor and living quarters above, reflecting a long tradition of combined residential and commercial use around the market area on Second Street. The largest building is the John Ross House at 401 S. Second Street, a three and a half story brick town house with double chimneys and a curtain wall. It was refaced in the early nineteenth century with pressed brick, with architect John Haviland overseeing the work when the house was converted into legal offices. The house is said to have been furnished lavishly and visited at least once by George Washington. Other businesses in the area have included bakeries, dry goods shops, glass and china stores, and a druggist. Restoration in 1965 and 1966 recovered nineteenth century storefronts on many buildings, and the district remains a mixed commercial and residential neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The district has served as a market area for the city since the eighteenth century, and its buildings have always combined residential and commercial use. The John Ross House at 401 S. Second Street is described as a notable example of a Philadelphia town house and is said to be among the largest in the city. The area's restoration in the 1960s preserved its historic character as an integrated neighborhood.
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 72001158, listed June 19, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Both sides of the 400 block of S. 2nd St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | June 19, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001158 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | John Haviland (architect, for the early nineteenth century renovation of the John Ross House) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 1965-1966; Head House and New Market restored in 1957-1958; Ross house restoration not yet complete. |
| Acreage | 9.9 |
| Within district | Society Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.94247, -75.14570 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 72001158.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15223420
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.