Solomon House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1887 on South 17th Street in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square area, this four-story double house with a mansard fourth floor was designed by the firm of Furness and Evans, with B. Ketcham as builder. It was one of five houses erected that year for developer Joseph Solomon, who lived at number 132. The facade is organized by heavy cornices and terra cotta belt courses, with red slate mansards and Philadelphia pressed brick walls. Its features include a giant chimney on the Moravian Street side, overscaled corbels, spiky terra cotta at the first floor, and a great iron lintel over the entrance vestibule. The houses are regarded as a representative late work of Frank Furness, whose influence on Philadelphia architecture was then widely recognized. Two of the original five survive with their facades largely intact, which is why they are considered significant for their architecture and for their rare intact survival in the neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the houses are notable for their design by Frank Furness and Evans, with an unusually individualistic facade of red brick, terra cotta, a massive chimney, calla lily-like roof terminals and exposed iron at the entrance. It contends the houses are among the last large city houses in Philadelphia with their facades largely intact and that they recall the residential character of the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood.
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 78002454, listed August 24, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 130--132 S. 17th St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | August 24, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002454 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1887 |
| Architect / builder | Furness and Evans (architects); B. Ketcham (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Center City West Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.95028, -75.16913 (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 78002454.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7558632
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.