McIlvain, Francis, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1869 for Francis McIlvain, who owned the F. McIlvain and Company Iron Foundry on Washington Avenue, this three-and-a-half-story brick house at 1924 Arch Street is faced with ashlar brownstone and finished in the Second Empire style. Its bracketed mansard roof has pilastered, arch-crowned dormers, and the main entrance has a pair of boldly carved black walnut doors that match a set made for the neighboring Charles T. Parry house. Interior survivals include paneled vestibule doors, a turned post balustrade on the main stair, complex plaster ceilings on the first and second floors, and an attic billiard parlor with burl and grain veneer walls and an original gas fixture. McIlvain's son-in-law, Ferdinand L. Fetherston, also lived here, and he published the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. The house is one of the few survivors of the residential Arch Street district that developed after the Civil War, much of which has been replaced by storefronts and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of Second Empire styling in Philadelphia, with notable carved black walnut doors and an intact attic billiard parlor. It also represents the middle-class residential character of west Arch Street, much of which has since been lost to commercial redevelopment and demolition.
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 79002324, listed November 20, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1924 Arch St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 20, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002324 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1869 |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted to offices on the first two floors, with an apartment and storage above; the document notes the owner intended to restore the house. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.95541, -75.17178 (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 79002324.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5481901
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.