Hidden City Festival Guide

festival may 23 — june 30

9

Explore‌ remarkable sites

10

2013

artist projects

tickets and info at festival.hiddencityphila.org

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The Corzo

Center for the CreAtive eConomy at the University of the Arts provides funding and support to creative arts businesses.

UArts’ Corzo Center links creative arts, business and innovation.

Guided by the belief that entrepreneurship is both a form of business innovation and a form of public and social action, our programs provide artists, performers and media makers the tools they need to control their economic lives.

Corzo Creative E Corzo Center for the Creative Economy

UArts.edu/summerinstitute forArts more information at the University of the email precollege@uarts.edu or call 215.717.6430.

corzocenter.uarts.edu

niversity of th

Welcome

to the Hidden City Philadelphia 2013 Festival.

9 sites > 10 art projects > 6 weeks to see the city anew

f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

Philadelphia really is different than other American cities. Someone once said we’re like Boston mixed with Detroit, a comparison that nails the combination of history and decay that makes this such a fascinating place. There’s a reason the Hidden City Festival happened here and not some tidy city like Portland or Minneapolis, and it’s because we have an outsized share of buildings that make you wonder, what the heck is inside?

Over the past two years we’ve scoured the city, neighborhood by neighborhood, to find the most unusual sites with the most interesting histories. Some are magnificent buildings that are

Left to right: Bryan Clark, Salem ColloJulin, Jordan Klein, John Vidumsky, Nathaniel Popkin, Lee Tusman, Peter Woodall, June Freifelder, Bradley Maule, Michael Bixler, Thaddeus Squire

vacant and deteriorating; others are private, belonging to one of the picturesque institutions that seem to survive in Philadelphia long after becoming extinct elsewhere.

Now it’s time to unlock the doors. Join us and explore a storefront synagogue in South Philadelphia, a theater concealed within an ornate apartment block in Powelton and a massive dye works in Frankford.

lead charitable support provided by

4

There are nine remarkable sites in all, spread out across the city. It’s worth the trip just to see them, but the place and its history are only part of the equation. Each site has been transformed by an ambitious contemporary artist project, a work created specifically for that space. These projects are all participatory to varying degrees, engaging the visitor and creating a shared experience, rather than being meant for the eye alone.

Your presence is what brings these projects to life. Take part in a Utopian experiment in civic democracy. Become a member of an imagined secret “Society of Pythagoras.” Join a knitting operation to fashion a new façade for a 100-year-old storefront synagogue. These are the kind of experiences that await you, not to mention the extensive lineup of talks, tours, movies, concerts and workshops we have on tap.

The Hidden City Festival is also, we hope, a way to change the way people think about the city.

Bringing inert spaces temporarily to life through the imagination of artists is a form of brainstorming about what these places could be, an open-ended process that stirs the pot rather than providing the exact recipe. And it works (sometimes). After the first Hidden City Festival in 2009, a vacant part of Shiloh Baptist Church became practice space for local dance companies, the Drop Forge building at Disston Saw Works found a tenant, and the third floor of Founder’s Hall at Girard College became a site for performances.

We wanted this year’s festival to create even more stakeholders for these sites, so we developed a new crowdsourcing website with web design firm I-Site and funded by a grant from the Barra Foundation. The site allows us to recruit volunteers, raise funds, and source materials for each project. The campaigns are not only about generating these resources, but also bringing together a group of people we hope will stay involved with the sites after the festival is over. Follow artists and projects, connect with other festival-goers, and join the conversation at festival. hiddencityphila.org.

—The Hidden City Team

the CeNter for Art iN Wood

«

JohN GrASS Wood turNiNG ComPANy

Cherry St

N 3rd St

N BreAd St

Cherry St

Mark Sfirri & robert g. dodge, Secretaire

John Grass & The Center The Quarry STreeT ConneCTion: where old wood meeTS new

John grass wood turning co., Bundle of Balusters

elfreth’S Alley

N 2Nd St

«

QuArry St

141 N. 3rd Street PhilAdelPhiA, PA 19106 215.923.8000

John grass artifacts exhibited down the alley at the center

ArCh St f r e e a d m i s s i o n — d o n at i o n s a p p r e c i at e d

centerforartinwood.org

Building Excellence with Master Craftsman for 132 Years Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters of Philadelphia & Vicinity EDWARD CORYELL Executive Secretary Treasurer Business Manager

NOEL ORR President

events

festival may 23 — june 30

2013

visitor info Opening Hours: Thursday-Sunday | 12-7p.m

Festival Site Passes (Thursdays are Free) One-day Pass: Weekend Plus Pass: All-Festival Pass:

$20 $40 (Fri-Sun) $70

Festival passes include access to all nine sites during opening hours, and also a variety of events. These events are free, however they do require a reservation, as space is limited.

After Hours Special Events carry an additional charge, and are marked with a (listing to the right).

TO PURCHASE & RESERVE festival.hiddencityphila.org/visit Or call the box office at 267 428 0575

MEMBER PASSES f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

Become a member and receive 25% off!

One-day Pass: $15 Weekend Plus Pass: $30 All Festival Pass: $50 hiddencityphila.org/membership

FESTIVAL KICKOFF BLOCK PARTY Saturday, May 25 | 7-11 PM Goldtex Building, 12th & Wood St. Admission: $15 + pay-as-you-go food trucks and beer.

Volunteer for the Hidden City Festival! festival.hiddencityphila.org/volunteers Visitors need to be comfortable walking up stairs and across uneven ground to visit some Festival locations. Where needed, there will be staff on site to assist the people with disabilities.Visitors with respiratory conditions should be aware that some sites are dusty. Contact our box office with any questions: 267 428 0575.

recurring events every day!

Knit Lab @ Shivtei Yeshmuron

Starting Thursday, May 23, 1-6PM (repeating daily) project: ADMK Knit Lab | event type: Workshop

every friday & saturday every saturday

Docent Tour @ John Grass Wood Turning

Starting Friday, May 24, 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30PM (repeating every Friday & Saturday) | project: Wood Shop | event type: Tour

City Hall Meeting on an Independent Germantown @ Germantown Town Hall

Starting Saturday, May 25, 3-5PM (repeating every Saturday) project: Germantown City Hall | event type: Talk

every saturday

Water Futures: Meet the Bibotorium @ Kelly Natatorium

four sundays

Open House: The Ruins of High Battery @ Ft. Mifflin

Starting Saturday, May 25, 3PM (repeating every Saturday) project: Bibotorium | event type: Tour

Starting Sunday, May 26, 2-4PM (repeating four Sundays) project: The Ruins At High Battery | event type: Tour

may one-time events may

23 Open House: Dufala Brothers @ Globe Dye Works

Thursday, May 23, 1-4PM | project: Oil & Water | event type: Tour

may

23 Induction Ceremony to the secret order

of the Knights of Pythagoras @ Hawthorne Hall

Thursday, May 23, 12-7PM | project: Secret of Pythagoras | event type: Reception

may

24 Shivtei Festival Opening Party @ Shivtei Yeshuron Friday, May 24, 4-6PM | event type: Reception

may

25 Hidden City Opening Party @ Goldtex Building Saturday, May 25 | event type: Reception

may

26 Sunday Morning Speaker Series: “Oral History Project:

Shivtei Yeshuron in 1960s and 1970s” @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Sunday, May 26, 10AM-12PM | event type: Coffee, Bagels, and Speaker

may

26 “We The Weeds” Wild Plant Trek and Botanical Cordial @ Ft. Mifflin Sunday, May 26, 2-3:30PM | project: Ruins At High Battery | event type: Tour

may

30 Open House: Dufala Brothers @ Globe Dye Works

Sunday, May 30, 1-4PM | project: Oil & Water | event type: Tour

may

30 Edward G. Pettit: The Poe Wars @ Athenaeum

Thursday, May 30, 5:30-7PM | project: Through The Pale Door | event type: Talk

may

31 A/V Archaeology: Heritage Electronics @ Historical Society of Frankford Friday, May 31, 7PM | project: A/V Archaeology | event type: Concert

6

june one-time events june

1

june

2

Open House: Data Garden @ Historical Society of Frankford

Saturday, June 1, 1-4PM | project: A/V Archaeology | event type: Tour

Sunday Morning Speaker Series: ”Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Jews in America” @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Sunday, June 2, 10AM-12PM | event type: coffee, bagels, and speaker

june

3

june

6

Radical Jewish Music: A Concert Series — Abraxas @ Shivtei Yeshuron Monday, June 3, 7PM | project: Radical Jewish Music | event type: concert

Watch ‘The Fight” (1965-1978)

Hilary Iris Lowe: Poe’s Rose Covered Cottage and Philadelphia’s Haunted Palaces @ Athenaeum

Thursday, June 6, 5:30-7PM | project: Through The Pale Door | event type: Talk

june

8

june

9

Hidden City Bike Ride @ Ft. Mifflin

Saturday, June 8, 11AM-1PM | project: Ruins At High Battery | event type: Bike Ride

Sunday Morning Speaker Series: “Radical Jewish Philadelphia” @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Sunday, June 9, 10AM-12PM | event type: Coffee, Bagels, and Speaker

june

12 Radical Jewish Music: A Concert Series — Volac @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Wednesday, June 12, 7PM | project: Radical Jewish Music | event type: Concert

june

13 Open House: Ruth Scott Blackson @ Athenaeum

Thursday, June 13, 5:30-7PM | project: Through The Pale Door | event type: Tour

june

14 A/V Archaeology: Digital Archives @ Historical Society of Frankford Friday, June 14, 7PM | project: A/V Archaeology | event type: Concert

june

16 Sunday Morning Speaker Series: Clarion, Utah and

the jewish back-to-the-land movement @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Sunday, June 16, 10AM-12PM

| event type: Coffee, Bagels, and Speaker

june

16 “We The Weeds” Wild Plant Trek and Botanical Cordial @ Ft. Mifflin

Sunday, June 16, 2-3:30PM | project: The Ruins At High Battery | event type: Tour

june

20 Punk Jews @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Thursday, June 20, 7PM | event type: Documentary

june

23 Sunday Morning Speaker Series:

”My First Kafka and Favorite Books” @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Sunday, June 23, 10AM-12PM

| event type: Coffee, Bagels, and Speaker

june

23 Independent Germantown

flagmaking workshop @ Germantown Town Hall

Sunday, June 23, 12-7PM | project: Germantown City Hall | event type: Workshop

june

27 A Sweater for Shivtei Yeshuron @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Thursday, June 27, 7-9PM | project: ADMK Knit Lab | event type: Reception

june

30 Sunday Morning Speaker Series:

“The SPHAs and Jewish Basketball” @ Shivtei Yeshuron

Sunday, June 30, 10AM-12PM | event type: Coffee, Bagels, and Speaker

June 20, 2013 7:30 p.m.

Fort Mifflin & Mud Island f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

A restored former Revolutionary War fort on the Delaware River bordered by the ruins of a 1870s cannon emplacement.

Fort Mifflin and Hog Island Roads neighborhood

Eastwick how to get there

Car (no public transit service available)

Site History

Artist Project

Fort Mifflin was built starting in 1771 on what was then Mud Island, a sword-shaped sliver of marshy ground in the Delaware River. Revolutionary forces completed the fort only to see it bombarded and captured by the British in 1777. The Americans later recaptured, rebuilt and renamed it after Pennsylvania’s first governor, Thomas Mifflin. The fort was later used as a prison during the Civil War. In the 1870s, a gun emplacement known as the “High Battery” was built outside the fort’s walls on the southern section of the island. The military decommissioned Fort Mifflin in 1962, and the Interior Department designated it a National Historic Landmark in 1970. Today, Mud Island is an island only in name, and is flanked by the Philadelphia Airport, storage tanks and an active military base.

Artists Ben Neiditz and Zach Webber will create Ruins at High Battery, a series of improvised structures from salvaged materials on a wooded shore of the Delaware River, bordering the thick stone walls of Fort Mifflin. These adhoc structures will invoke both a forgotten past and a post-apocalyptic future, and echo the shack settlements that dotted South Philadelphia’s marshlands prior to the 20th century. The structures will be made with scavenged material from the past 250 years, unsettling the distinction between architecture and ruin, artifact and garbage. Some structures will appear to extend the ruins of the High Battery cannon emplacement built in the 1870s, while others will blend in with the dense vegetation. The project calls attention to the presence of nature, even in an industrial landscape, and the history of informal settlement in the area, which has often been overlooked because it left behind so few physical traces.

8 photos by pete r wooda ll

NEW EW DESIGN ESIGN PRESERVATION RESERVATION

JOHN OHN MILNER ILNER ARCHITECTS RCHITECTS, INC INC. www.johnmilnerarchitects.com www.johnmilnerarchitects.com

RESTORATION ESTORATION RENOVATION ENOVATION

Mural Arts, through the Restored Spaces Initiative, is developing a model of practice using Philadelphia public schools, rec centers, and commercial corridors as permeable campuses on which to convene cross-community gatherings to integrate public art with sustainable revitalization strategies.

The projects provide a platform for community action through art and planning in shaping the urban landscape.

WORKSHOPS WITH STACY LEVY In partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department, we present community workshops to design and install temporary art in Queen Village. The art will focus on the use of rainwater to bring awareness to storm water management in the neighborhood.

Design Workshop Saturday, May 18 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Shot Tower Recreation Center 131 Carpenter Street, 19147

Community Art Making Day Saturday, June 1 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Site TBD EventBrite: http://ph.ly/sqAdJ

SHISSLER & BIG GREEN BLOCK PROJECT Celebrate the opening of Shissler Greenway Spray Park, by renowned artist Beverly Fisher, whose work has expanded the breadth and depth of Restored Spaces.

Thursday, May 23 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Shissler Recreation Center 1800 Blair Street (directly following Tot Graduation) FOR MORE INFORMATION: Restored Spaces Originator & Project Manager, Shari Hersh 267-972-3944 | shari.hersh@muralarts.org

SPONSORS: The City of Philadelphia Water Department, The City of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department, PTS Foundation

Dear Hidden city, You

celebrate the power of place. (lucky me!)

I celebrate the power of you.

P.S. Find more neighborhood treasures here:

ATKIN OLSHIN SCHADE ARCHITECTS Architecture • Preservation • Adaptive Reuse • Planning 125 South Ninth Street, Suite 900 Philadelphia, PA 19107 Tel: (215) 925-7812 aosarchitects.com blog.aosarchitects.com

See our restoration work at the Commandant’s House at Fort Mifflin while at the Hidden City Festival 2013!

Hawthorne Hall Hidden within an ornate apartment block, this dilapidated theater once hosted shows, dances, and boxing matches, and served as headquarters for various fraternal organizations.

3849 Lancaster Ave. neighborhood

Powelton Village

#10 Trolley; 40th St. stop on MarketFrankford Line

Artist Project

The corner of Lancaster Avenue and Hamilton Street holds a secret. Concealed in an ornate block of apartments is a dilapidated theater once used for performances, meetings, church services—even boxing matches.

Built in 1895 on the site of a lumber yard, the three-story building is a variation on the late Queen Anne-style, with rusticated keystones, press brick arches and terracotta sculptures. In 1914, the Knights of Pythias Union Lodge No. 14 made the hall its headquarters. The hall later hosted the Irish National Foresters, as well as several churches. Hawthorne Hall was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 1984. Several parts of the building are vacant, including the hall itself. West Philadelphia-based People’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation purchased the property recently and hopes to restore the space.

Artist collective Rabid Hands invites visitors to join the Society of Pythagoras. Collective members Andrew Schrock, Ben Wolf, Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels and Vanessa Cronan will explore the tangled history of the social halls that once made the site their home, drawing from secret spiritual and fraternal customs. The Society will be headquartered in the ruins of an old theater that will be transformed to create a full sensory experience, including interactive sound objects, light baths and ritualistic performance. After passing through the initiation office and swearing an oath of secrecy, visitors will ascend the stairs and undergo various ordeals to rise through the levels of the society.

f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

how to get there

Site History

neighborhood highlights A Part of Me » 3834 Lancaster Ave., apartofme.net, 215-662-0707 // Treasure trove of vintage and consignment clothing.

Green Line Cafe » 3649 Lancaster Ave., greenlinecafe. com, 215-382-2143 // Fair Trade coffee, sandwiches and a patio.

International Foods & Spices » 4203 Walnut St., 215-222-4480 // Ask for the samosas behind the counter.

Dwight’s Southern Bar-B-Que » 4345 Lancaster Ave., 215-879-2497 // Even Southerners like it.

11 interior & Ep h em era p h otos by j os e p h e . b . Ell i ott / ext e r i or photo by pete r wo o dall

Globe Dye Works A sprawling, multi-building complex that was a family-operated yarn-dyeing plant until 2005.

Today, Globe Dye Works is a community of artists, artisans and fabricators.

4500 Worth St. neighborhood

f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

Frankford how to get there

#56 Bus to Torresdale Avenue & Kinsey Street; #25, J Buses to Orthodox & Worth Streets; MarketFrankford Line to Church Street

Site History

Artist Project

Founded in 1865, and operated by the same family until closing in 2005, the multi-building Globe Dye Works dyed, bleached and wove cotton yarns for local knitting mills. Globe was typical of the highly specialized, mid-sized, family-owned companies that made Philadelphia’s textile industry the nation’s largest by 1900.

The adjacent Little Tacony Creek supplied the factory with water used in the dyeing and bleaching process, but was also used as dumping site for waste, frequently turning the creek different colors. After the factory closed, partners Charlie Abdo, Pete Kelly, and Matt and Ian Pappajohn bought the complex and are converting its 17 buildings into spaces for craft manufacturing, art production and exhibition.

Philadelphia artists (and brothers) Billy and Steven Dufala’s Oil & Water will “dehab” the architecture and machinery of Globe Dye Works’ boiler room by creating a “defunct infrastructure” that blurs the line between historical and contemporary technological function and outdated industrial detritus. The title “Oil & Water” is a metaphor for the immiscible (unable to be mixed together to form a homogenous solution) nature of any contemporary technology to seamlessly blend with future technological needs. Using faux ductwork and other industrial components, the artists will extend the existing infrastructure that once powered the dye plant, leading visitors into the dark corners of this industrial relic.

neighborhood highlights Leandro’s Pizza » 4501 Frankford Ave., 215-5331935 // Frankford’s best pie.

Grey Lodge Pub » 6235 Frankford Ave., greylodge. com, 215-856-3591 // Beer mecca, fantastic fries.

Gilbert’s Upholstery » 4529 Frankford Ave., gilbertsupholstery.com, 215-744-5385 // Family-owned antique shop and upholsterer.

Shoecoholic (former Circle Theater) » 4656 Frankford Ave. // Look up and check out the façade!

12 photos by jose ph e . b. Elli ott

Historical Society of Frankford Site History

St. Mark’s Church Frankford » 4442 Frankford Ave., stmarksfrankford.org, 215-535-0635 // Ironwork

by Samuel Yellin, stained glass by Nicola D’Ascenzo.

Headquartered in a 20th-century Georgian Revival building, the Historical Society of Frankford boasts a collection of rare documents and a basement-level museum full of curiosities.

Artist Project Avant-garde record label Data Garden will create AV Archaeology, a wired sound installation combining contemporary and outdated audio technologies that allow the public to “play” and mix the sound of the historic museum and its artifacts. The group will build primitive electronic music players that place superannuated equipment such as 1970s-era cassette tape machines into wooden boxes similar to the archival storage boxes used by early-20th century museums. Data Garden’s artists, will broadcast compositions made from sounds sampled from inside the building—including rattles, Victrolas and fire department horns, as well as inspired by the collections in the Society’s basement museum. Data Garden will also present a concert of experimental, contemporary electro-acoustic music featuring renowned DJ and Producer King Britt, violist Gretchen Lohse, theremin player Laura Baird and Dino Lionetti on 8-bit sound technology.

f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

Established in 1905, the Historical Society of Frankford gives visitors a peek into life in Northeast Philadelphia.

The Society hosts monthly programming in its classic meeting hall, and has a basement-level museum (rarely opened to the public) filled with curiosities, including military uniforms, weapons, musical instruments, fire equipment, Native American artifacts, tools, toys, and even art made with human hair. The Society also houses a significant collection of research materials that run the gamut from the 1687 deed to the area signed by William Penn to 1920s game-day programs of the Frankford Yellowjackets football team, along with rare maps, newspapers, books, journals, business records and personal papers of local individuals.

1507 Orthodox St. neighborhood

Frankford how to get there

#75, 89, J Buses to Orthodox & Penn Streets; #3, 5 Buses to Orthodox Street & Frankford Avenue; Market-Frankford Line to Margaret & Orthodox

13 photos by p et er wo o da ll

c Animation & Visual Effects c Architecture c Arts Administration c Dance c Design & Merchandising c Interactive Digital Media c Entertainment & Arts Management c Fashion Design c Film & Video c Game Art & Production c Graphic Design c Interior Design c Interior Architecture & Design c Museum Leadership c Music Industry c Photography c Product Design c Screenwriting & Playwriting c TV Production & Media Management

www.drexel.edu/westphal

Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel A former storefront converted into a place of worship, the “Little Shul” was established by the Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel congregation to accommodate the growing Jewish population in the early 1900s; still active today.

2015 S. 4th St. neighborhood

South Philadelphia how to get there

Artist Projects

Beginning in 1882, a wave of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Eastern Europe arrived in South Philadelphia. By the turn of the century they had expanded from the original Jewish quarter near South Street, establishing more than 100 synagogues east of Broad Street. Among them were the members of Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel, who in 1909 converted a storefront at Fourth and McKean Streets into a place of worship. Since then, as the Jewish population grew, shrank dramatically, and began to grow again, the synagogue persisted. The interior has remained almost unchanged, a reminder of turn of the century immigrant life. A small group continues to hold regular services at the synagogue — fondly nicknamed the “Little Shul” — and hopes to recruit new members and make necessary repairs in the coming years.

Textile designer Andrew Dahlgren (working as ADMK — Andrew Dahlgren Machine Knitting) will ask festivalgoers to help him create an enormous knitted “sweater” that will cover the facade of the 100-year-old storefront synagogue. Many early Jewish immigrants in Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel’s South Philadelphia neighborhood worked in small sweatshops located in the upper floors of row houses or sewed piecework in their own apartments.

ADMK Knit Lab will create a contemporary textile operation that recalls this historic use, while allowing visitors to try their hand at operating the knitting machinery.

neighborhood highlights

f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

#57 Bus to Mayomensing Avenue & McKean Street; #79 Bus to Snyder Avenue & 4th Street

Site History

In the final months of 2004, composer-performer John Zorn wrote over 300 new compositions for his popular Masada project, resulting in Masada Book Two-The Book of Angels. In celebration of Zorn’s 60th birthday, Ars Nova Workshop presents The Book of Angels Minifestival, featuring the group Abraxas and solo cellist Erik Friedlander.

Grindcore House » 1515 S. 4th St., grindcorehouse.com, 215-839-3333 // Friendly vegan coffeehouse.

Mummers Museum » 1100 S. 2nd St., mummersmuseum.com, 215-336-3050 // Get up close to the spectacular costumes.

Khmer Kitchen »1700 S. 6th St., 215-755-2222 // Fantastic Cambodian soups.

Oregon Diner » 302 W. Oregon Ave., oregondinerphilly. com, 215-462-5566 // Where they still call you “hon.”

15 photos by j os ep h e. b . Elli ott

Germantown Town Hall Although never a true town hall for Germantown, the now-vacant building once housed a number of City departments.

5928-5930 Germantown Ave. neighborhood

Germantown how to get there

f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

#23, 65 Buses to Germantown Avenue & Haines Street; J, H, XH Buses to Greene & Rittenhouse Streets; Chestnut Hill East and Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail Lines

Site History

Artist Project

Today’s Town Hall is actually the second one built on the Germantown lot. The first Town Hall, popularly called “Old Town Hall,” was designed by architect Napolean LeBrun and built in 1854, just as Germantown was being consolidated with Philadelphia. The building was used as a police station, Civil War hospital and venue for traveling shows and political meetings.

In 1920, it was declared structurally unsound and demolished. The second Town Hall was designed by John Penn Brock Sinkler and modeled on the neoclassical Merchant’s Exchange building in Old City. Sinkler’s design included a magnificent rotunda that included places for the bell and clock from the old building, and for two tablets memorializing the 123 men from Germantown who died in World War I. The City used the new Town Hall for the Health and Survey offices, but only a few remained after functions were centralized in the 1980s. The building has been vacant since 1998, when the City Community Services office closed. It is currently for sale.

Oakland-based artist Jacob Wick will turn the vacant Germantown Town Hall into the Germantown City Hall — a functioning government center for an imagined “Free Germantown,” a Utopian experiment in civic democracy and participatory art. The multi-purpose public space will offer a performance and meeting area, a reading room with a lending library, and an office/ copy center. All Germantown residents will have free access to City Hall. Wick’s Information Department, in partnership with a Germantown-based The Think Tank that has yet to be named, will also set up residencies in the Town Hall. The Think Tank will open an Office of Support Structures, to focus on current and potential resources and support systems in Germantown, and host Sunday afternoon workshops. The Information Department will manage the copy center and hold open meetings on the possibility and implication of Germantown seceding from Philadelphia.

neighborhood highlights

Wyck Historic House and Farm » 6026 Germantown Ave., wyck.org, 215-848-1690 // Beautiful gardens, some of the world’s rarest roses.

Geechee Girl Rice Café » 6825 Germantown Ave, geecheegirlricecafe.com, 215-843-8113 // Try the pulled pork.

Johnson House Historic Site » 6306 Germantown Ave., johnsonhouse.org, 215-438-1768 // A key station on the Underground Railroad.

Earth Bread + Brewery » 7136 Germantown Ave., earthbreadbrewery.com, 215-242-6666 // Superb hand-crafted beer, homemade flatbreads.

16 photos by pete r wooda ll

Drexel InterView The

Interesting People. Interesting Talk. with host

INFORMATION SESSIONS CultureBlocks is a free mapping tool that supports people making decisions about place and creativity in Philadelphia. Attend a session to learn how to use it for research, planning, exploration and investment.

Center City

Mon, May 13th 2PM-3PM

West Philly

Wed, May 15th 1PM-2PM

South Philly LEARN MORE & RSVP AT Mon, May 20th 2PM-3PM

Paula Marantz Cohen

and guests like

Christopher Hitchens A.S. Byatt Kenny Gamble John Waters and more...

Tune in on:

WHYY: Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m.

Drexel University Television (DUTV): Tuesdays at 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m.

PhillyCAM TV: Mondays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

Kensington Thu, May 16th 2PM-3PM

Mt. Airy

CULTUREBLOCKS.COM Wed, May 22nd 9AM-10AM

drexel.edu/thedrexelinterview

www.inter face-studio.com 340 n. 12th street, #419 philadelphia, pa 19107

CREATE PLACES THAT ENHANCE LIFE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE / URBAN DESIGN / PLANNING

WWW.THEOLINSTUDIO.COM hiddencity ad_Layout 1 4/29/13 4:29 PM Page 1

Produce Pros!

MAY 10TH JUNE 14TH JULY 12TH

Explore Lancaster Avenue!

Enjoy art and live music featured at

Iovine’s

Fair Food

Kauffman’s

OK Produce

over a dozen local businesses!

Explore Hawthorne Hall as part of the Hidden City Festival (June 14th)!

For more details visit www.facebook.com/lancasteravephilly

Reading TeRminal maRkeT MON–SAT 8–6 & SUN 9–5 • $4 PARKING 12Th & ARch STReeTS • 215-922-2317

www.pec.cares.org

www.lancaster21.com

www.readingterminalmarket.org

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia Unassuming from the outside, the Athenaeum is an historic lending library and literary association that boasts an internationally significant collection of rare books and architecture and interior design documents.

Site History In the 19th century, citizens in several American cities created lending libraries and literary associations called Athenaeums, named for Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. Philadelphia’s Athenaeum was established in 1814, although the current clubhouse and library didn’t open on Washington Square until more than 30 years later. The building — now a National Historic Landmark — is widely hailed as the seminal American structure in the Italianate Revival style. Severely plain on the exterior and deceptive in scale, the Athenaeum has richly embellished reading rooms with 24-foot ceilings and leaded, glassfronted bookcases, as well as a charming chess room on the second floor. Persisting as a member-driven literary association and library (one of the remaining few), the Athenaeum also holds an internationally significant collection of architecture and interior design documents

Artist Project

f e s t i va l . h i d d e n c i t y p h i l a . o r g

Edgar Allan Poe wrote the vast majority of his oeuvre while living in Philadelphia, much of it at his home on Seventh and Spring Garden Streets. Literary historians have long sought to understand the influence of the house and the city on Poe. Artist Ruth Scott Blackson will take on this task, inspired by two discoveries at the Athenaeum: Poe’s signature in the sign-in log from 1838 and a book in the collection that analyzes the paint color of Poe’s home yet lacks illustrations. Scott Blackson’s project Through the Pale Door will create a complimentary artist book composed solely of images that will be hand printed at Philadelphia’s Second State Press. In addition, Scott Blackson will curate a selection of books from the Athenaeum’s collec216 S. 6th St. tion that explore Poe’s life neighborhood and times. neighborhood highlights Washington Square West Locks Gallery » 600 Washington Square South, Khyber Pass Pub » 56 S. 2nd St., khyberpasspub.com, locksgallery.com, 215-629-1000 // New York City215-238-5888 // Two words: gumbo and barbeque. how to get there quality contemporary art. #9, 21, 42 Buses to Philadelphia History Museum » 15 S. 7th St., Walnut & 5th Streets; M. Finkel & Daughter » 936 Pine St., samplings.com, philadelphiahistory.org, 215-685-4830 // Philadelphia’s #12, 47 Buses to 215-627-7797 // Early Americana, fantastic selection of stories in a recently renovated space.

Washington Square & samplers and needlework.

Locust Street; MarketIshkabibbles » 337 South St., philacheesesteak.com, 215Frankford Line to 5th 923-4337 // Cheesesteaks better than Jim’s. Fries, too.

Street

19 externa l p h oto by p et er wo o da ll / i nte r n a l p h oto by j os e ph e . b. Ell iott

John Grass

Wood Turning Company A wood turning workshop opened in 1863 by Bavarian immigrant John Grass that closed in 2003, it has remained largely unchanged for a century.

146 N. 2nd St. neighborhood

Old City how to get there

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#5, 17, 33, 48 Buses to Market & 2nd Streets; Market-Frankford Line to 2nd Street

Site History

Artist Project

When Bavarian immigrant John Grass opened his wood turning workshop in 1863, Old City had already been a center for light manufacturing for more than a century.

Grass’s workshop specialized in tool handles, many of which were purchased by the Stortz Tool Co. located nearby on 2nd & Vine (and still in business!). Grass’s sonin-law Louis Bower and John Stortz took over John Grass in 1911 and moved to the present location — a former oyster house and tavern, liquor store, and rubber goods factory.

The office and main workshop were located on the first floor. The workshop continued on the second floor where some equipment dates to as early as 1870. The business closed in 2003, but the workshop has remained intact and essentially unchanged for a century.

Visit Wood Shop and watch a pop-up mobile lathe in action operated by expert wood turners from the nearby Center for Art in Wood. In addition, artisan Joe McTeague will create a custom viewing area for festival-goers to peek into John Grass using balusters and other surplus material found inside the shop.

McTeague is part of the local “Maker community,” a movement of artists, builders and DIY tinkerers who have helped to spur renewed interest in Philadelphia’s industrial heritage.

neighborhood highlights Old City Coffee » 221 Church St., oldcitycoffee. com, 215- 629-9292 // Around since 1984 and still one of the best.

Arch Street Meeting House » 320 Arch St., archstreetfriends.org, 215-627-2631 // The Society of Friends in all its beautiful simplicity.

Art in the Age » 116 N. 3rd St., artintheage.com, 215-922-2600 // Exquisitely crafted everyday objects.

Center for Art in Wood » 141 N. 3rd St, centerforartinwood.org, 215-923-8000 // Discover the beauty of wood at this captivating museum

Race Street Café » 208 Race St., racestreetcafe.net, 215-627-6181 // Awesome tap list, tasty sandwiches.

20 photos by jose ph e . b. Elli ott

See the city in a whole new light!

Architectural Walking Tours PreservationAlliance.com/walkingtours

volunteer for the hidden city festival!

f e s t i val . h i dde n c i t y p h i la. o r g/ vol u n t eers

Kelly Natatorium

at the Fairmount Water Works Today, all of the Fairmount Water Works – America’s first municipal water system – has been restored except for an area that once held an aquarium and swimming pool.

640 Waterworks Dr. neighborhood

Fairmount how to get there

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#32 Bus to Pennsylvania Avenue & 25th Street; #38 Bus to Art Museum Drive & Back Entrance 2; #43 Bus to Spring Garden Street & Art Museum

Site History

Artist Project

The City of Philadelphia built the Fairmount Water Works, America’s first municipal water system, in response to the catastrophic yellow fever epidemic of 1793, hoping that fresh water would prevent disease. The Water Works was completed in 1815, but didn’t become America’s second most popular tourist attraction for another 25 years, when the operation finally became profitable.

Unfortunately, rising pollution levels eventually forced the Water Works to close in 1909. The building became an aquarium (the fourth largest in the world). In 1961 a section of the aquarium was converted into the Kelly Natatorium, a swimming pool funded in part by Philadelphia’s illustrious Kelly family. The City closed the pool after Hurricane Agnes flooded it in 1972, and the facility remained vacant along with the rest of the Water Works for more than a decade. Following a lengthy restoration that began in the 1990s, an education center and a fine dining restaurant opened, however the pool area remains closed.

From its earliest days, the Fairmount Water Works combined functional engineering with social, recreational and educational activities. Visitors came to observe the pump house wheel, stroll the gardens, and beginning in 1835, enjoy refreshments in the Engine House, which had been remodeled into a saloon. Bibotorium, created by artist collective Camp Little Hope, tests an unrealized 1920’s proposal to convert part of the Water Works into an educational saloon. The proposal envisioned a space where the public could enjoy beverages brewed by water filtering boats in pools of water from different endangered sources around the world. As drinks were served, the water level in the pools would drop and prices would increase accordingly, modelling the social and economic impact of human effects on the water supply.

Members of the collective will build a different waterfiltering boat in each of the three pools, and serve tea brewed from three water sources. Visitors are invited to explore the future of Philadelphia’s water together in the pop-up cafe.

neighborhood highlights Cosmic Cafe » 1 Boathouse Row, cosmicfoods.com, 215-978-0900 // Riverfront cafe using locally made and grown products.

Eastern State Penitentiary » 2027 Fairmount Ave., easternstate.org, 215-236-3300 // Radical then, still awe-inspiring now.

The Barnes Foundation » 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., barnesfoundation.org, 215-278-7000 // The new building is stunning (and the collection, too).

London Grill » 2301 Fairmount Ave., londongrill.com, 215-978-4545 // Classic corner tap room. Get the burger.

22 photo by pete r wooda ll

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