Mayfair House
Why it's listed
Built in 1925-26 on a corner of Lincoln Drive in Philadelphia by the New York firm Sugarman and Berger, the fourteen-story apartment house is set back from the road, with its Lincoln Drive front left open as a lawn and terraces near the headwaters of the Wissahickon Creek. Its facades use a stone base, two stories of Corinthian pilasters, and brick upper floors with Regency-style windows, topped by a double attic story and a corner tower. The lobby features Ionic piers, a coffered ceiling, and a black and white marble floor, and the cocktail lounge and dining room are equally elaborate. The building holds 244 apartments, and it is significant as one of the first apartment houses in the region to combine tall construction, a suburban setting, and a garage for automobiles. Its traditional styling was chosen to appeal to conservative local tastes, and the design is regarded as an early example of this approach.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is one of the city's most original apartment houses, an early merger of tall apartment construction, suburban garden setting and automobile access. Its Regency and Adam-inspired interiors are described as among the finest of their period, and its design is said to have been carefully tailored to the traditional values of prospective tenants.
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 82003811, listed April 7, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 401 W. Johnson St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | April 7, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003811 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925-26 |
| Architect / builder | Sugarman and Berger (architects) |
| Architectural style | Regency |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Fairmount Park |
| Coordinates | 40.03728, -75.19138 (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 82003811.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6797126
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.