N. Snellenburg Company Department Store Warehouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1914 on the corner of North 10th and West Berks streets in North Philadelphia, this eight-story reinforced concrete warehouse was constructed for the N. Snellenburg Company, whose downtown department store at Market Street needed storage for large goods such as furniture, carpets and phonographs. The building was fireproof and sprinklered, and it was divided into north and south sections by a concrete firewall. Its exterior shows the concrete frame clearly, with vertical members scored to resemble quoins, brick spandrels beneath each window bay, and a west facade of steel windows and loading doors. The building is regarded as an important early example of reinforced concrete warehouse construction, designed by William Steele and Sons Company. It also illustrates how department stores depended on large storage and shipping facilities. The warehouse remained in use for the store, which was later sold and closed in 1963, and the building is now vacant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the warehouse is significant under Commerce for its role supplying the Snellenburg department store and as an example of early 20th-century retailing trends. It is also significant under Architecture as an early reinforced concrete warehouse designed by William Steele and Sons Company.
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 03000725, listed July 31, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1825-1851 N. 10th St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | July 31, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000725 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1914-1953 |
| Architect / builder | William Steele & Sons Company |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The document states the building is now privately owned and presently vacant; rehabilitation into rental apartments was underway at the time of writing. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.98031, -75.14976 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 03000725.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q139760271
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.