Social Service Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1923-1924 on South Juniper Street in Philadelphia, the ten-story brick building was designed by Horace Trumbauer and George A. Fuller Company built it. Its red brick walls, limestone trim and terra cotta cornice reflect the Federal Revival style, and its marble-clad lobby signals a public character. The building was planned to hold the offices of the Children's Aid Society, the Society for Organizing Charity and other private welfare agencies, with a 500-seat auditorium and a shared library and boardrooms on the top floor. By 1929 more than thirty welfare organizations occupied it. The nomination regards it as a physical record of how private charity became professional in early twentieth-century Philadelphia, and as a major commission for Trumbauer, whose practice was national. Its founders intended the fireproof steel frame to protect agency records, and the entrance design was meant to affirm the dignity of staff and clients alike.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building gives architectural form to the rise of professional private charitable work in early twentieth-century Philadelphia, funded by the city's elite. It is also presented as a work by a prominent architect with a national practice, with a Federal Revival design and well-preserved exterior and public spaces.
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 02000063, listed February 20, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 311 S. Juniper St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | February 20, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000063 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923-c.1951 |
| Architect / builder | Horace Trumbauer (architect); George A. Fuller Company (builder) |
| Architectural style | Federal Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Windows replaced with aluminum sash in the 1970s-1980s; first floor auditorium converted to a daycare center in the 1980s; sold in 1998. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Washington Square West Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.94605, -75.16297 (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.
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 02000063.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7550841
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.