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The German Society Building

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1887, Wilhelm Gette. 611 Spring Garden St.
  • (Photo by Andrew Hope)
  • (Photo by Andrew Hope)

The continuation of the old German neighborhood north of Market Street is evident in this conservative, German Renaissance assembly hall. As was their custom, Germans looked within their community, in this instance hiring a recently immigrated (1880) designer who could be counted on to bring up-to-date swagger of Wilhelmine Germany. Here brick and brownstone are overlaid with cast-iron window frames that give the building the “more is more” schmaltz that later Germans reacted against.

Writing Credits

Author: 
George E. Thomas
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Citation

George E. Thomas, "The German Society Building", [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/PA-02-PH193.

Print Source

Cover: Buildings of PA vol 2

Buildings of Pennsylvania: Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania, George E. Thomas, with Patricia Likos Ricci, Richard J. Webster, Lawrence M. Newman, Robert Janosov, and Bruce Thomas. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2012, 156-156.

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