Regent-Rennoc Court
Also known as: 5100 Rennoc Street
Why it's listed
Nine six-unit flat houses built in 1910 stand on the 5100 block of Regent Street and along the east side of 52nd Street in southwest Philadelphia. Developer James Conner commissioned them, and architect E.A. Wilson designed them. Each building has a large front porch, a projecting centered entrance, and a Palladian window on the upper floor. The porches rest on reinforced concrete slabs and railroad track I-sections, and the cast stone and pressed metal ornament reflects industrial production methods of the period. The buildings are joined at the rear in groups of three on each side of Regent Street. Their larger scale gave residents more light and air than the nearby row houses, and they were built within walking distance of streetcar lines. Wilson designed more than 20,000 residential units in Philadelphia, and the document regards these buildings as one of his more innovative experiments. Few apartment buildings of this type survive in the area, which makes the group important for understanding the spread of apartment living into the region.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the group is an innovative early apartment design that brought the apartment type to a region previously developed for single-family houses. Its larger scale gave more light and air than the surrounding row houses, and its elaborate ornament distinguishes it within its row house neighborhood. The document says few apartment buildings of this type have survived in southwest Philadelphia.
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 85002292, listed September 12, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5100 blk. Regent St. & 1311--1327 S. 52nd St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | September 12, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002292 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910 |
| Architect / builder | E.A. Wilson (architect); James Conner (developer) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The buildings have fallen on hard times and the condition is listed as altered and fair; the document describes a planned restoration. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.94128, -75.21804 (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 85002292.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7308072
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.