You can’t discuss Philadelphia’s history without mentioning #SocietyHill. The Society Hill community and neighborhood is without contest one of the oldest residential properties in the Philadelphia area. Society Hill has stood proud since the late 1600’s gaining cognizance and popularity in the aftermath of urban decay. The neighborhood suddenly received a new breath of life towards the very end of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

It was at this point in time that Society Hill fully came into its own, becoming one of the most sought-after and coveted neighborhoods in the entire state. Society Hill came to be known as an elite district that catered to high society and those who earned the largest average income. Its development and layout was ahead of its time, making it stand out from other neighborhoods with streets awash with the most elegant and historic colonial architecture of their era.

Because this neighborhood contained one of the greatest collections of authentic 18th and 19th century buildings in the entire country, certain steps were taken in recent years to preserve it. Which raises the question... is Society Hill entitled to these rights?

According to the members of the Society Hill neighborhood, the driving motivation behind the request was to protect the dream and vision of Edmund Bacon, the man largely responsible for transforming the neighborhood into the magnificent wonder that it is to behold today.

To prevent Society Hill from suffering the same fate as other historical landmarks in the state like 44th and Parkside Ballpark or Forbes Field, its members would like to do everything within reason to preserve the historical treasure that Society Hill represents.

The first step towards this is these restrictive zoning rights to maintain the standards that the district is known and valued for. I, for one, and glad that these zoning changes have passed in order to preserve the history of this great neighborhood.