Perkasie Town Center Historical Reconnaissance Survey

Name: Scott Bomboy

Class: Historic Preservation 203

Bucks County Community College

Instructor: Pat Fisher-Olsen

Date: April 17, 2017

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Table of Contents

The National Register, Local Historic Preservation and Historic Districts 5

The Incentives for Historic Preservation 6

The National Register: How Properties Are Evaluated 9

Potential National Historic Districts in Perkasie 10

Bridgetown-South Perkasie Historic District 11

Lake Lenape Park Historic District 12

Perkasie Park National Historic District 13

Perkasie Town Center Historic District 14

Historic Preservation In Bucks County 15

Determining Perkasie’s Town Center Historic District 16

Defining the Historical Context And Period of Significance 17

A Population Study Using Census Data, 1880-1940 18

Housing Inventory: Where People Lived 20

Preservation Evaluation 21

Historic Maps That Define The Potential Historic District 21

The Reconnaissance Field Survey 27

Historic District Inventory List 31

Final Analysis And Recommendations 32

Appendix A: Notable Buildings In Town Center Historic District 34

Appendix C: Detailed Employment Sector Information 40

Appendix D. List of Structures In Proposed Town Center Historic District 42

Appendix E: Resources Consulted 56

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Project Overview

Perkasie Borough, population 8,500, is a municipality situated about 35 miles north of Philadelphia, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is an ideal candidate for historic preservation efforts for several reasons. There is a strong historical context for Perkasie as a town that was created in the Victorian age as a transportation-driven commercial center that remained vibrant through the mid-20th Century.

This project focuses on preliminary research to determine if Perkasie’s Town Center is eligible for historic preservation measures, as part of this context. The Borough has already recognized the Town Center’s unique character by creating a zoning overlay district for it.

The Borough has identified historic preservation as one of the long-term goals in its Comprehensive Plan, approved in 2014 as part of Perkasie’s economic revitalization efforts.

“Historic preservation is another strategy for maintaining sound and attractive neighborhoods. Perkasie’s historic and cultural resources are a significant part of the community’s fabric and character, contributing to its charm, visual appeal, and neighborhood cohesion. There are many potentially historic properties in the borough, although they have not been comprehensively identified and evaluated. If these resources were to be demolished, inappropriately modified, or neglected, the borough’s heritage would be diminished. Such resources also carry economic development potential by providing visual appeal, unique properties for homes, shops, and galleries, and areas that invite heritage tourism.” -- Perkasie Comprehensive Plan,

2014

To start the preservation process, the Borough identified a simple goal: Define what is historic in town. “Preparing a historic survey to inventory the community’s historic resources is a good starting point,” the plan concluded. “The survey would also serve as a baseline for future preservation activities,” the plan says, including the pursuit of “funding sources for historic and cultural resources in need of preservation and rehabilitation.”

Typically, municipalities start that process by creating an inventory of historic resources such as buildings, structures and areas. The state Historic District Act of 1961 allows local governments to conduct surveys to determine if resources are related by their location in a historical way.

There are two phases in the historical research survey process. First, a basic Reconnaissance Survey determines if there is concentration of resources in a defined area that merits protection, and defines the historic context of a potential district related to its age. If a municipality decides to pursue more efforts, an Intensive Survey, usually conducted by a certified historic preservationist, will analyze each resource within the proposed district in detail.

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The completed research then allows a municipality to determine the best historic preservation policies to pursue for the community, working with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Often, the creation of Historic Districts is the most efficient way to organize these efforts in conjunction with how local government operates, since the 1961 Historic District Act allows a municipality to act directly on preservation issues through a local historical commission and zoning ordinances.

Perkasie Borough currently has one Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places and two other districts eligible for the Register, as designated by Pennsylvania’s State Historic Preservation Office. This study focuses on a fourth potential Historic District: Perkasie’s original Town Center business district contains examples of unique Victorian architecture and original manufacturing buildings that made the Borough a regionally significant business hub in Bucks County.

Figure 1: Current Perkasie Borough Zoning Map

Source: Perkasie Borough

Currently, the Town Center District is indicated in blue in the above Zoning Map as a special zoning overlay district. “The TC district was created to facilitate the growth of commerce and economic development in the downtown while still preserving the historic character and integrity of the area. Downtowns that possess a strong sense of character and identity tend to attract more activity and patronage from residents and visitors alike,” said the Borough in its 2014 Comprehensive Plan.

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This project uses modern, computer-aided tools to expand on a traditional reconnaissance survey. Maps are combined with databases containing property records, digital newspapers, census records and property images to define the likely boundaries of a Town Center Historic District.

The project also recommends a period of historic significance for Perkasie’s Town Center district, which is a key component of the next survey process: an Intensive Survey that confirms the eligibility of specific properties within a boundary area as part of a National Historic District. The study concludes with recommendations about the border area for the Town Center district and a list of next steps for the Borough to pursue, to meet its Comprehensive Plan goals.

The National Register, Local Historic Preservation and Historic Districts

Local historic preservation efforts are best understood in how they are related to national and state efforts. In broad terms, the Department of Interior and the National Park Service sets basic preservation guidelines. Each state has a Historic Preservation Office that evaluates petitions from local governments and local citizens. These petitions seek a ruling that a property or a collection of properties is historic and eligible for preservation protection and incentives such as tax credits, easements and grants.

The first effort in preservation for Historic Districts is called a Reconnaissance (or Windshield) Survey, because a basic survey can be done by simply driving around a town and documenting older buildings and neighborhoods. A Reconnaissance Survey identifies historic properties (more than 50 years old) to determine if they are potentially worthy of preservation,

using a basic, but thorough documentation of resources.

A Perkasie Town Center street (left) shows three different architectural styles (Second Empire, Gothic Victorian and Craftsman) which would be briefly catalogued in the Reconnaissance Survey.

The National Register of Historic Places program is a key factor in local historic preservation efforts because the National Park Service establishes guidelines used by the federal government and state governments to consider local

properties eligible for financial assistance.

The National Register is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.

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Owners of private and public historic properties can receive significant tax credits, matching grant funds and dedicated grant funds based on their status as historic properties, or as one of many properties making up a Historic District.

States through their Historic Preservation Offices (or SHPOs) are presented with properties for historic consideration, either from private researchers or local government officials. A SHPO will evaluate a single property, or groups of properties, in the form of a Historic District against a checklist of National Register criteria. If approved, the presenter can pursue an official designation on the National Register of Historic Places. They also become eligible for federal and state historic preservation tax credits, grant funding and easements, regardless if they apply for a final National Register listing.

These financial benefits and incentives are administered by local Historical Architectural Review Boards (or HARBs), Historical Commissions and conservancy groups. HARBs and Historical Commissions are created by local governments to ensure that properties deemed historical by the federal and state governments are regulated within reason and remain eligible for funding through various programs. Conservancy groups and other non-profits help people and organizations apply for historic preservation programs, and they also administer significant tax programs such as property easements that offer financial benefits to property owners.

Table 1: The Historic Preservation Approval Process

Actor Agency/Group Actions

Federal Government National Register Program, National Park Service, Department Of Interior

Sets guidelines and rules for properties and districts eligible for the National Register and historic preservation

State Government State Historic Preservation Office Rules if properties/districts are eligible, using Federal guidelines

Local Government Governing boards, Historical Architectural Review Board, Historical Commission

Sets ordinance to ensure properties meet guidelines, reviewed by a historical board

Local Citizens Homeowners, business owners, non-profits, local governments

Applies for local, state and federal review of historical properties and districts

The Incentives for Historic Preservation

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and subsequent federal and state laws established strong financial incentives for governments and individuals to undertake historic preservation. Federal and state historic preservation tax credits, grant funding and easements are available to

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property owners of commercial and residential properties. Properties must be individually eligible for the National Register or a resource within a Historic District listed on the National Register.

Table 2. Types of Historic Preservation Financial Incentives

Incentive Reviewer Recipient Benefit

Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit

Federal, State Income-producing Business Owner

20/10% lifetime Tax Credit

State Rehabilitation Tax Credit State Income-producing Business Owner

25/10% lifetime Tax Credit

Conservation Facade Easement

Federal, State All property owners One-time tax benefit

Historic Preservation Easement

Non-profits All property owners One-time tax benefit

Preservation Project Grants State Non-profit/local governments

$25,000/$100,000, w/ 50% match

National Trust For Historic Preservation, charitable groups

Private non-profits

Individuals, businesses, local government

Direct or matching grants

A successful financial program has been the Federal Tax Credit program. Between 2002 and 2015 in Pennsylvania, the program helped 588 development projects in the state, according to National Trust research. Those projects rehabilitate mixed-use, housing and commercial buildings, and they generated more than $100 million in local tax revenue and more than 32,000 permanent jobs.

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Figure 2: Federal Historic Tax Credit Programs in Pennsylvania, 2002-2015

Source: National Trust for Historic Preservation Typical projects that received 20 percent federal tax credits were the Doylestown Inn ($1.9 million), the Mann Tobacco Warehouse in Lancaster ($3.3 million for conversion to an office and sports bar complex), the Lansdale Silk Hosiery Company ($14 million for conversion to apartments) and the Phoenixville Foundry ($4.4 million for an event space). For these investors, they received a 20 percent lifetime tax credit on qualified expenditures. For example, the Lansdale apartments received a $2.8 million federal tax credit to use on rehabilitation costs and future revenue generated by the project. The federal tax credit program is a rare example of a government program that pays for itself. Over its lifetime, it has created $28 billion in local tax revenue nationally at a cost of $23 billion.

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The National Register: How Properties Are Evaluated

The National Park Service and SHPOs follow common guidelines to evaluate historic properties based on their age, integrity and significance. The Park Service defines a historic district as “a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects united historically or aesthetically by plan or physical development. A district may also comprise individual elements separated geographically but linked by association or history.”

To be considered eligible as an individual historic property, a resource must be at least 50 years old (with some limited exceptions), must look much of the way it did during a period of historic significance, and it must satisfy one of the four following criteria:

Criterion Definition Example

A Events, activities, or developments important in past

Trolley system in Perkasie

B Lives of people who were important in the past George Washington stayed at your house

C Significant architectural history, landscape history, or engineering achievements

Frank Lloyd Wright designed your house

D Archeological investigation about our past Indians lived on your property

For example, the South Perkasie Covered Bridge, which was listed on the National Register in 1980, qualified as a “property associated with significant architectural history.” It is the third-oldest existing “Town Lattice” style covered bridge in the United States and it was built in 1832.

Historic Districts need to meet a different set of criteria: “A historic district must be a definable geographic area that can be distinguished from surrounding properties by changes such as density, scale, type, age, style of sites, buildings, structures, and objects, or by documented differences in patterns of historic development or associations,” says the Park Service.

A historic district must be associated with a period of significance locally, regionally or nationally. The majority of properties in a defined area must be “contributing” resources that embody the district's historic associations or its historic architectural qualities. Non-contributing resources also can be part of a district. A property or resource can change from contributing to non-contributing if significant alterations take place, making it different than how it appeared in its period of significance.

For any historical resource, it must show signs of historic integrity, including a sense of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.

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All properties in any Historic District in Perkasie would be evaluated on these seven points, with properties meeting the criteria included as contributing resources. Most properties in a district must be contributing resources for the area to qualify as a Historic District.

Potential National Historic Districts in Perkasie

Perkasie Borough is a strong candidate for historic preservation with four historic areas situated within its borders. A modified map from Perkasie’s Comprehensive Plan shows the location of three additional historic districts, which are explained in detail below. These districts reflect important areas with different eras of historical significance. Table 3: Current and Potential Historic Districts In Perkasie Borough

Area Determination Status

Bridgetown/South Perkasie Criterion C. Declared eligible in 2001 for National Register

Must re-apply with state to retain eligibility for National Register

Lake Lenape Park Criterion A. Declared eligible in 2015 for National Register

Eligible for National Register until 2020

Perkasie Park Criterions A & C. Declared eligible in 2016 by state for National Register

Listed on National Register, August 2016

Town Center Overlay No application for eligibility No application for eligibility

Figure 3. Four Historic Areas In Perkasie Borough

Source: Perkasie Borough Comprehensive Plan, modified to add areas

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Bridgetown-South Perkasie Historic District

In November 2001, Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Historic Preservation, the state’s SHPO, ruled that part of Perkasie’s Third Ward was eligible for the National Register in response to a request from the state Department of Transportation for a Section 106 review related to the Pleasant Spring Bike Path project. Figure 4: Bridgetown-South Perkasie Historic District Map

Source: Perkasie Borough Comprehensive Plan, modified to add areas The proposed Bridgetown-South Perkasie Historic District begins at the intersection of East Walnut Street (Route 152) and extends south on Walnut Street to Stoneycrest Drive and the Borough’s border with Hilltown Township. The Historic Resource Survey form found that 57 resources existed in the proposed district. The district was eligible for the Register under Criterion C, as “an excellent collection of 19th Century to mid-20th Century residential and industrial resources.” The period of significance was from 1867 to the mid-20th century. The survey noted there were few non-historic properties in the proposed district. The survey also omitted the older section of Bridgetown, on South and North Main Street, which has buildings that date to the 1840s. Historically significant properties in the Bridgetown-South Perkasie Historic District include the Strassburger House, built in 1829 by village founder the Rev. John Andrew Strassburger; the South Perkasie Hotel; the Benfield Mill; St. Andrew’s Church (the oldest church built in Perkasie, in 1867) and the Royal Pants manufacturing complex, which was a key supplier of World War II uniforms.

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Perkasie Borough didn’t act after the 2001 determination of eligibility, which would require another Historic Resource Survey for the district to regain its eligibility.

Lake Lenape Park Historic District

In May 2015, Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Historic Preservation ruled that an area called the Lake Lenape Park Historic District was eligible for the National Register in response to a Section 106 review request from state Department of Transportation for a county bridge construction project. Figure 5: Bridgetown-South Perkasie Historic District Map

Source: Perkasie Borough Comprehensive Plan, modified to add areas

Lake Lenape Park was found eligible under Criterion A in the areas of Recreation and Conservation. An 85-acre portion in Sellersville Borough is adjacent to Perkasie Borough Lenape Park (41 acres). During the 19th century, Lake Lenape Park was used and considered a natural attraction for fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking, walking and ice skating. The adjacent Menlo Park (3.02 acres), also in Perkasie Borough, incorporated Lake Lenape into its recreation and amusements by having boat rides on the lake and toboggan rides in winter down an embankment to the lake. During the Great Depression the park was restored as a public asset and improved natural attraction. Extant elements from this period include a set of pedestrian suspension bridges

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constructed circa 1938, that cross the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek, the general paths in the vicinity of the pedestrian suspension bridges, and a dam across the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek erected in 1936 in the southeastern corner of the park. Many of these elements were constructed as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) program during the 1930s. The South Perkasie Covered Bridge, constructed in 1832, was moved from its original location on Main Street over Pleasant Spring Creek in Perkasie to the northern end of the park in 1958. Lake Lenape Park remains eligible for the Register until May 2020.

Perkasie Park National Historic District

The National Park Service listed the former Perkasie Park Camp Meeting grounds on the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 2016 as a Historic District. Figure 6: Perkasie Park National Historic District Map

Source: Perkasie Borough Comprehensive Plan, modified to add areas Perkasie Park encompasses 21 acres organized in a classic camp meeting plan. At its center is a large auditorium situated on a rectangular-shaped green or commons; dozens of seasonal cottages where camp attendees stay face the commons on all four sides. Additional cottages face walkways beyond the commons. The camp’s access drive encircles the commons and most cottages. Communal dining and recreational areas are located on the flat, park-like lawn area immediately south of these cottages. The camp meeting contains 66 buildings (61 contributing and five non-contributing), plus two contributing objects and one contributing site. Bridgetown-South Perkasie Historic District was accepted for the National Register under Criterion A as a property associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history and under Criterion C as a property that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or

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possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. The period of significance was from 1882 to 1960. Within Perkasie Park, its historic outdoor auditorium, which was built in 1886, hosted many of the Perkasie’s public events in the Victorian era, as well as the popular regional camp meetings. During the period between 1882 and 1910, the Perkasie Park annual camp meeting Sunday in July or August drew more than 10,000 visitors to town, more than 10 times the number of people who lived in Perkasie.

Perkasie Town Center Historic District

Perkasie’s historic Town Center has never been proposed for a Historic Resource Survey despite its high concentration of buildings likely eligible for consideration as a District or as individual properties. Figure 7: Potential Town Center Historic District

Source: Perkasie Borough Comprehensive Plan, modified to add areas The former Lehigh Valley Transit Station was listed as eligible for the National Register between 1998 and 2003 when Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Historic Preservation approved a resource survey submitted as part of a grant request. The former Perkasie Silk Mill was eligible between 2003 and 2008. Three buildings were determined as not eligible for the register in prior years by the BHP: the former Joseph Hendricks store, the Menlo Park carousel, and the former Major League baseball factory. However, the Borough’s central business district has many examples of Victorian-era buildings designed by two prominent regional architects: Milton Bean and Oscar Martin. The former Reading Train Station was designed by Wilson Brothers, one of the best-known architectural firms in Philadelphia’s Gilded Age. A nearby wooden freight station was designed by T.P.

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Chandler, the founder of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Architecture. (See Appendix A for a listing of significant properties.) Most of the buildings that hosted the Borough’s cigar making and clothing makers still exist. Most of the homes built to house the town’s workers during its likely period of significance, between 1882 and 1952, also still exist in a neighborhood setting. Clearly, the assets for a historic district remain intact in Perkasie’s town center area. This project’s purpose is to use primary research to refine the period of significance and the area for a potential historic district, so a majority of resources will qualify as contributing resources.

Historic Preservation In Bucks County

Bucks County has placed 160 locations on the National Register since 1966, the fifth-most in the Commonwealth. The county has been a trendsetter in the historic preservation movement. On October 10, 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the National Historic Preservation Act. The act created the National Register and it directly involved states and towns in historic preservation. It also led to laws that created tax credits and public financial incentives to preserve - and not destroy- older buildings. Five days after Johnson signed the act, Washington Crossing Park was named to the National Register, followed by Andalusia and Pennsbury Manor. In 1970, Doylestown Borough created its own Historic District and preservation ordinances. Falls Township (1963), Bristol Borough (1968), Newtown Borough (1969) and New Hope (1970) adopted similar laws and review boards before Doylestown. Figure 8: Bucks County Municipalities with Historic Review Boards

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Bucks County Municipalities with Historical Review Boards Bristol Borough Buckingham Township Chalfont Borough Doylestown Borough Doylestown Township Falls Township Hulmeville Borough Ivyland Borough Langhorne Borough Lower Makefield Township Middletown Township New Hope Borough Newtown Borough Newtown Township Nockamixon Township Northampton Township Plumstead Township Richland Township Solebury Township Springfield Township Tinicum Township Upper Makefield Township Warwick Township

Wrightstown Township Yardley Township Warrington Township Source: Various municipal codes in Bucks County Of the 54 municipalities in Bucks County, 26 have a historical review board or commission to work with its citizens on historic preservation. Residents in historic districts also benefit from rising property prices. Recent federal data shows the average value of owner-occupied homes in Bucks County municipalities, with at least 5,000 residents, was $307,600 between 2010 and 2014. In towns with historic-review boards, the value was $371,419; without historic preservation, the value was $274,617.

Determining Perkasie’s Town Center Historic District

To determine if Perkasie’s Town Center is eligible for the National Register and the boundaries for any Historic District, the following process will be followed:

1. Archival research of primary sources and newspapers should support evidence of the historical context and period of significance for the Historic District,

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2. Basic property research should reveal a physical resource inventory of the Borough (divided into time periods) and the historical building construction pattern of the Borough, allowing the Historic District’s boundaries to be defined

3. A Reconnaissance Survey of the identified Historic District should confirm that a majority of buildings are contributing resources.

4. A concluding analysis will present recommendations about the Historic District, including the identification of key resources of historic value, and guidelines for on-going preservation efforts.

Defining the Historical Context And Period of Significance

Perkasie Borough was formed in 1879 as the Reading Railroad’s regional growth led to residents from Rockhill Township and the village of Perkasie to consolidate business and residential interests close to the Landis Ridge tunnel. The tunnel was built between 1854 and 1857 by the North Pennsylvania Railroad, and it allowed direct passenger and freight travel between Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley region and the Poconos for the first time.

The Reading Railroad leased the train system from the North Pennsylvania Railroad in 1879, when Perkasie Borough was incorporated. The Reading Railroad sought regional expansion as part of its competition with the Pennsylvania Railroad. In the following decades, Perkasie Borough annexed two nearby villages, Mont Alto and Bridgetown, as the cigar industry, tourism trade and passenger and freight train service made it a regional commerce center. The Borough also had two regionally popular private parks. The Perkasie Park Camp Meeting, formed in 1882, and Menlo Park, a sprawling amusement park and picnic grounds, opened in 1891 as popular as a train and trolley destination. Regional trolley service started in 1900, based near Menlo Park and the town’s business district, and it fueled more economic growth. After the cigar industry’s decline after 1920, the workforce in Perkasie transitioned to the clothing and garment making industries through World War II, and its central business district remained as a popular regional destination. The Works Progress Administration completed Lenape Park in 1937, a planned, natural 128-acre recreation area consisting of land acquired from Menlo Park and private sources. After World War II, the new automobile-driven culture fundamentally changed Perkasie. Its downtown area experienced a decline because it wasn’t located near highway systems, and it lost trolley service in late 1951. By that time, the town’s primary employer, the Royal Pants Company, sent work away from the region, and other local businesses such as the E. Hubbert & Son (which made all baseballs used in the major and minor leagues) sent work to Massachusetts. One business that prospered was Delbar Products, which made motor-vehicle mirrors. Few new commercial buildings were erected after 1952 in the town’s central district until the early 1970s. In terms of existing historical contexts at the state level, Perkasie was an important component in the Historic Context for Transportation Networks in Pennsylvania. The construction of the Landis Ridge tunnel allowed passenger and freight trains to run directly between Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley. The Town Center neighborhood was created in response to transportation and commercial needs. And the current defined region conveys the aspects of history related to its relevance as a commercial center between 1880 and 1952.

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A Population Study Using Census Data, 1880-1940

A time-intensive but critical research task is the evaluation of United States Census data from 1880 to 1940 to determine the nature of Perkasie’s workforce. Many Perkasie residents lived within walking distance of their employers. This relationship helps define boundaries and the period of significance for the Town Center district.

The Population Study involved reviewing scanned census reports on Ancestry.com to isolate Perkasie’s work force into the following segments: the cigar industry, the garment and clothing industry, and the retail/trade/consumer industries.

More than 15,000 individual census listing were catalogued manually over a one-month period, by hand, to get a composite look at these employment sectors. The results show a true picture of the importance of two industries over a 60-year period, and provide strong evidence for the period of historic significance.

Overall census population data by decade show the dramatic growth in Perkasie. The Borough’s population grew rapidly between 1880 and 1920, with prosperity brought by the train and trolley system, and the cigar industry in the North Penn region.

Figure 9: Perkasie’s Population By Decade, 1880-2010

Source: United States Census Data

While some of the early population growth came from the annexation of Bridgetown, a look at employment numbers from the census show a clear economic boom. (Note: 1890 census data are not available from the U.S. government.) By 1900, about 40 percent of Perkasie residents were employed, and of the work force, about 44 percent worked directly in the cigar industry. The rest worked in retail/craft/labor trades and a small percentage (8 percent) were in the clothing and garment trade.

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Between 1880 and 1940, the cigar and clothing-related industries dominated life in Perkasie. But after 1930, cigar making greatly declined, as automated cigar making machines changed the industry. Only one cigar maker, H.E. Snyder, remained by 1940. It was known for its high-quality five-cent cigars.

Figure 10: Perkasie Workforce, By Industry Sector, 1880-1940

Source: United States Census Data

In the 1930s and 1940s, the clothing and textile industries dominated employment in Perkasie Borough. Comparing two pie charts shows the big change in employment patterns over 40 years.

Figure 11: Perkasie Workforce, By Industry Sector, 1900 Vs. 1940

Source: United States Census Data

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Housing Inventory: Where People Lived

Another clue to determining the boundaries of the potential Town Center Historic District is property research. The Bucks County Board of Assessment makes public records available online about most properties in the Borough. That allows a researcher to build a basic inventory of properties by historic era. In all, 3,382 property records were available for Perkasie Borough. Each property was sorted into 14 different eras of historic significance, from 1700 to 2014.

Table 4. Current Buildings In Perkasie, By Era Built

Era Existing Buildings Share Of Total 1700-1800 3 0.09% 1800-1850 14 0.41% 1851-1880 28 0.83% 1881-1900 232 6.86% 1901-1910 225 6.65% 1911-1920 275 8.13% 1921-1930 202 5.97% 1931-1940 174 5.14% 1941-1952 189 5.59% 1953-1965 333 9.85% 1966-1980 297 8.78% 1981-1990 881 26.05% 1991-2000 414 12.24% 2001-2014 115 3.40% Totals 3,382 100.00%

Another way of looking at the distribution of buildings in the Borough is in a simply organized bar chart.

Figure 12: Existing Buildings In Perkasie, By Era Built

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About 38 percent of the buildings today in Perkasie Borough were first built during the proposed era of significance between 1880 and 1952.

Preservation Evaluation

Clearly, there are historical patterns of employment and building construction that can be used to define the boundaries of a Perkasie Town Center historic district. The next step is to identify the location of the employers and retail businesses during the era of historic significance. These buildings, if still existing, mark the starting exterior boundaries of the district. Then, using advanced online tools that combine Google Earth images with property data to do a virtual windshield tour of the designated district. This allows the researcher to list all possible properties in a data table and apply simple criteria, in the form of a rubric, to determine if the proposed district has a majority of resources with historic integrity, as a prerequisite for the National Register.

Historic Maps That Define The Potential Historic District

The earliest map of the incorporated Perkasie Borough is from the 1886 J.D. Scott North Pennsylvania Railroad Atlas. The color map shows the location of housing and the few retail business interests in town. Figure 13. 1886 North Pennsylvania Railroad Atlas Map of Perkasie

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Perkasie had two hotels, two general stores, two shoe stores, a drug store, a small train station, a sleigh manufacturer, a knit jacket maker, and a large lumber and coal yard. The town didn’t have a cigar factory at this point. Cigars were usually made at home by artisans who learned the craft in the traditional way. One of the best resources for historical property research are Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. The maps list the names and locations of buildings, as well as their construction materials. Penn State’s online library has three complete sets of Sanborn maps, in digital form, from 1908, 1913 and 1921. These maps are excellent resources to understand how Perkasie was built in its first growth era.

In 1913, the cigar industry was at his high-water mark in Perkasie. In the block just north of the train station, two major cigar-making factories were in operation, as well as a cigar-box factory.

Figure 14: Sanborn Map From 1913 Of Area North of Train Station

This 1913 map shows the cigar factories’ location to the north of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad passenger and freight stations.

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Figure 15: Perkasie Railroad Station Neighborhood, 1921

A look at section 6 of the 1921 Sanborn Map shows brick building in red, wooden frame

buildings in yellow and stone buildings in blue.

Buildings 1, 2 and 3 were built or used for cigar production. By 1921, for the former Boltz and Clymer cigar factory, building 1, had been converted to a silk manufacturing factory. Building 2, the J.G. Moyer building, has been converted to cigar making, while the Cressman building was primarily a cigar shipping and making building. These three buildings were all eventually destroyed in fires.

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Figure 16: Mixed-Use Neighborhood, Fifth Street, 1921

The neighborhood south of the main cigar factories features homes and businesses blended together in a mixed-use district. As shown on the map below, the town’s doctor, dentist and an undertaker all occupied large buildings on Fifth Street, the main east-west street in Perkasie. Several churches were also located in this neighborhood.

Buildings in this neighborhood included a cigar factory (1), doctor’s office (8), churches (2, 5, 7), dentist (4), drug store (3), and undertaker (6). Various stores extend north of Market and Fifth Streets.

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Figure 17: Proposed Town Center Historic District Outlined Over 1937 Zoning Map

The first Zoning Ordinance Map of Perkasie from 1937 shows that business was still concentrated in its downtown area near the passenger and freight train stations.

The red line shows the proposed Town Center Historic District based on 2016 boundaries. Almost all original zoning for the District in 1937 was Industrial (dark grey) and Business (dotted diagonal areas).

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Figure 18. 1954 Perkasie Annexation Map, With Proposed 2016 Historic District Added

In 1954, a map for Perkasie’s 75th anniversary showing the acquisition of the various parcels that made up the Borough. The area highlighted in red shows the proposed Perkasie Town Center Historic District, which sits entirely inside the original incorporated Perkasie Borough of 1879.

=

Perkasie’s current Zoning Map shows that the Town Center overlay closely mirrors a proposed Historic District. The Town Center zoning overlay is marked in blue.

Figure 19: Current Perkasie Zoning Map

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The Reconnaissance Field Survey

The Reconnaissance Field Survey was done in person on September 10, 2016 on foot and done online between November 21 and 24, 2016, using a combination of Google Earth and the Bucks County Flood Plain Viewer website, a free resource that combines Google Earth images with Bucks County deed maps, plot and survey data by parcel.

According to the National Park Service guidelines, a Reconnaissance Survey is a "once over lightly" inspection of an prospective Historic District, which is used “to organize and orient more detailed survey efforts, in conjunction with a general review of pertinent literature on the community's past.”

Also known as a "windshield survey" of the community, the Reconnaissance Survey was traditionally done by literally driving around the community and noting a general pattern of buildings, structures, and neighborhoods representing different architectural styles, periods, and modes of construction.

Photographs, historical and recent maps, city plans, and other sources of information supplement a general understanding of the community's layout and environment during its history. And in some cases, a detailed inspection of sample blocks or areas is used to understand the community as a whole.

Once the Reconnaissance Field Survey is completed, its results provide the community and property owners with the information needed to decide on historic preservation efforts.

An Intensive Survey is the next step. It is a close examination of the area being surveyed. It generally involves detailed background research, and a thorough inspection and documentation of all historic properties in the field. It should produce all the information needed to evaluate historic properties and prepare a final inventory.

Reconnaissance and Intensive Surveys are usually conducted in sequence, with the Reconnaissance Survey used to plan the Intensive Survey. They are also sometimes combined, where a likely high concentration of historic resources and reconnaissance directed at areas where fewer resources can be expected.

The National Park Service says a Reconnaissance Field Survey should document:

1. The kinds of properties looked for; 2. The boundaries of the area surveyed; 3. The method of survey, including the extent of survey coverage; 4. The kinds of historic properties present in the survey area; 5. Specific properties that were identified, and the categories of information collected; and 6. Places examined that did not contain historic properties.

The following questions also need to be addressed by the Reconnaissance Survey:

How is the purpose of the survey established?

In this survey, the research answers two important needs: defining part of a community that may be subject to substantial development in the near future, or is the target for use of government

28

assistance, triggering the need for historic preservation review to answer state and federal review questions.

What are historic contexts?

A Historic Context is a broad pattern of historical development in a community or its region, that is represented by historic resources. Historic contexts are developed using background data on the community's history, or on such data from the surrounding area.

Figure 20: Overall View of Proposed Perkasie Town Center Historic District

Buildings Time Period Key:

Blue (before 1880), Red (1880-1920), Orange (1921-1952) and Grey (after 1952 or non-contributing). The Town Center overlay boundary is in Yellow.

29

The base maps use Flood Plain Viewer property maps annotated by color to show property construction periods: The Yellow line on the above map shows the current Town Center zoning overlay for Perkasie.

Most properties within the Yellow line are likely candidates as contributing resources, based on their age and location. The Delbar property, far left, is a problematic candidate, due to remodeling of the first industrial building on that site in 1909. In all, there are 246 resources in the Historic District area above, including two adjacent areas to the current Town Center zoning overlay, with 214 resources are believed to be contributing, based on the Reconnaissance Survey.

Figure 21: Historic District Between 5th Street Between Spruce And Arch Streets

These detailed maps show areas within the proposed Historic District identified by Tax ID number with age indicated by the color key. Resources in black are outside the district.

Figure 22: Historic District, 5th Street Between 7th Street And Arch

30

Figure 23: Historic District, North 7th, West Arch Street, Cigar Area

31

Historic District Inventory List

The proposed resource inventory list for the Town Center Historic District includes 246 resources (not including outbuildings). In the list, 214 resources are contributing, while 32 are non-contributing. The full list is available in Appendix A. Table 5: Eligible Resources in Town Center Historic District Era Resources Before 1880 5 1881-1900 54 1901-1920 79 1921-1930 26 1931-1940 40 1941-1952 17 1953-2016 25 Total 246 Eligible 214 Not Eligible 32 The combination of the Population Survey, the Employment Analysis and the Reconnaissance Survey shows strong evidence of clear boundaries for a Town Center Historic District based the proximity of the properties, their age and their shared purpose. Within the Town Center, about 87 percent of the properties would qualify as contributing resources to a National Register Historic District based on their age, integrity and architectural style. About 54 percent of the properties were built between 1880 and 1920, and they exhibit with a Gothic Victorian design scheme, or most commonly, an early Craftsman style with typical pedestalled porches. Brick work of various quality is the most-common construction material, since Perkasie had a town brick works located next to the Perkiomen Creek. Figure 24: Distribution of Contributing Resources In Town Center District

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The resources list shows two other traits that support their inclusion in a Historic District. Houses were located close to Borough’s major employers, and to the Reading Railroad and Lehigh Valley Transit lines. In this way, the Town Center District show strong evidence of existing as a classic Railroad and Street Car Suburb residential area during its period of significance, driven by middle-class residents in a regional transportation and commercial hub. The total evidence would qualify the Town Center District as eligible for the National Register under Criterion A, as being associated with events, activities, or developments that were important in the past in the areas of Transportation and Criterion C, for its collection of architecture.

Final Analysis And Recommendations The Perkasie Town Center Historical Reconnaissance Survey set out to answer the following questions and achieve the following goals. Goal: Determine if Perkasie’s historic Town Center is eligible for local, state and national historic preservation measures, based on the district’s historic context and its period of significance Conclusion: Historical Reconnaissance Survey shows that the Town Center Historic District is a definable area that qualifies as eligible for the National Register Of Historic Places under Criterion A, as being associated with events, activities, or developments important in the past in the areas of Transportation and Commerce made a significant contribution to the development of the local community, and under Criterion C, for its collection of architecture.

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The majority of resources that make up the Town Center district's historic character possess integrity and the relationships among the district's components are substantially unchanged since the period of significance between 1880 and 1952. In all, about 90 percent of the Town Center properties would qualify as contributing resources to a National Register Historic District based on their age, integrity and architectural style, based on a preliminary analysis.

Goal: Relate these historic preservation efforts to Perkasie Borough’s Comprehensive Plan

Conclusion: Perkasie Borough has identified historic preservation as one of the long-term goals in its Comprehensive Plan, approved in 2014 as part of the Borough’s economic revitalization efforts. The Borough has already recognized the Town Center’s unique character by creating a zoning overlay district for it. The creation of a Town Center Historic District will allow the community's business people to take advantage of tax incentives to rehabilitate commercial buildings, and it will likely lead to increasing property resale values for residential property owners. However, community support also is a key factor in the successful implementation of any historic preservation efforts.

Goal: Recommend next steps, if warranted, to use historic preservation to implement related sections of the Comprehensive Plan

Conclusion: The next steps should be an action taken by the local governing body, Perkasie’s Borough Council, to evaluate pursuing historic preservation efforts. These changes can take place by the listing of the Town Center area as a Historic District, under Act 167 or by enacting zoning regulations under the MPC. The end result should allow commercial and residential property owners to benefit from financial incentives related to federal, state and local historic preservation programs.

The next step is for the local governing body to establish an ad hoc Historic Preservation study committee to evaluate the following:

1. The benefits of Perkasie Borough formally enacting Historic Preservation efforts, in compliance with the Municipalities Planning Code, which mandates that "zoning ordinances shall provide for the protection of natural and historic features and resources.”

2. The costs for any such implementation, such as paying for an Intensive Survey, the formal application to the National Register of Historic Places, and legal fees related to zoning changes

3. The best way to get public feedback and input on historic preservation efforts, including public meetings held by the Study Committee

4. The analysis of the benefits and costs of historic preservation, with a final recommendation to the governing body

These actions would be consistent with recognized historic preservation efforts in other state municipalities.

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Appendix A: Notable Buildings In Town Center Historic District

Among the more than 240 structures in the Town Center district are many outstanding examples of 1880-1952 period architecture. Two regional architects, Milton B. Bean and A. Oscar Martin, actively designed residential and commercial buildings in Perkasie. The Town Center collection of buildings includes Gothic Revival, Carpenter Gothic, early Craftsman, Arts and Crafts and vernacular buildings. Two railroad buildings were designed by Philadelphia architects with a national reputation: the Wilson Brothers and Theophilus P. Chandler.

No. Building Historic Name/ Address/ Current Owner

Notes

1

Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Passenger Station 50 7th Street Owner: SEPTA

Designed by Wilson Brothers, 1892. The firm was lead architect for Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. Gothic Victorian Style

2

Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Freight Station N 8th Street Owner: SEPTA

Designed by T.P. Chandler, 1889. He was the founder of Penn’s Architecture school.

3

Joseph Hendricks General Store W. Market Street Owner: Bonnie Gehman and Leigh Scott

Designer unknown, 1856. Built for Samuel Hager, first resident of village of Perkasie, to coincide with opening of Landis Ridge train tunnel. Building modified after

35

1988 fire. Original was stone building in later Federal style.

4

First National Bank Of Perkasie 620 West Chestnut Street Owner: Perkasie Borough

Designed by Tilghman Moyer in 1924. Built for First National Bank of Perkasie in classical revival style. Remodeled to add additions to side and rear of building.

5

Henry O. Moyer House and Store 106 S. Sixth Street Owner: Grim & Grim

Designed by Milton Bean in 1895. Gothic Victorian Queen Anne that hosted a clothing store and the home for the town’s Mayor in 1890s.

6

Levi Leatherman House/Grim Law Offices 526 West Chestnut Street Owner: Grim & Grim

Designer unknown. Leatherman built the house in the 1870s. It was acquired 30 years later by town attorney Harry Grim. Carpenter Gothic style

7

Samuel Kramer House 116 Sixth Street Owner: Stephen and Dorothy Tenley

Designed By Milton Bean in 1892. Kramer co-owned the town newspaper and the Menlo amusement park. Gothic Victorian Queen Anne style.

36

8

Lehigh Valley Transit Station 513 W. Walnut Street Owner: Perkasie Historical Society

Designed by Wallace Ruhe and Robert Lange, 1912. Prominent commercial architects in Allentown for the Lehigh Valley Transit Company. Used for trolley service until Sept. 1951. Currently a museum.

9

Jacob Daub House 514 Walnut Street Owner: Souter Properties

Designer unknown. Used materials from older house owned by Stout family and built in 1847. Later used as the town bakery.

10

Plaza Movie Theater 613 W. Market Street Owner: Timothy Schoeller

Designed By Oscar Martin, 1922. Movie theater for the Perkasie Fire Company, which used the proceeds to help fund operations. Closed in 1951. Now a restaurant.

11

Jacob Bissey House 538 West Market Street Owner: Pennridge Chamber of Commerce

Designer unknown. Date c. 1872-1886 Long-time location of town shoe repair store. Stone building with two gables.

37

12

Josiah Solliday House 530 W. Market Street Owners: Steven Papiernik and Delores Bonk

Designer unknown, Date c. 1876-1886 Classic Queen Anne with Carpenter Gothic style porch. Built for another former mayor in the 1880s.

13

Perkasie Furniture Store 601 W. Market Street Owner: WJC Properties

Designer unknown, 1923. Third building on location of former hardware and general store.

14

Dr. John Irwin Residence 1 South Fifth Street Owner: Daniel and Christine McDevitt

Designed By Milton Bean, 1905. Dr. Irwin was the town dentist. The building was recently used for law offices and then converted to apartments. The building still retains its Queen Anne styling.

15

Mark Thatcher House 26 South Fifth Street Owner: Charles Meier

Designed By Oscar Martin, 1927. Arts and Crafts detailed home built for prominent local attorney and Borough solicitor Mark Thatcher. Now a dentist office.

38

16

George Beidler House 101 North Fifth Street Owner: Rina Prop Inc.

Designed By Milton Bean, 1925. This Arts and Crafts fine home was owned by George Beidler, who operated an adjacent clothing factory.

17

Dr. Daniel Landis House 504 Arch Street Owner: Charles Meier

Designed by Milton Bean, 1895. Another irregular massed Queen Anne. Landis was a physician and the town school director. The property was known for its gardens.

18

Jacob Meyer’s Double House 531 Race Street Owner: Benjamin Brower

Designed By Milton Bean, 1895. Queen Anne Gothic Victorian built in Rock Granite with three pointed dormers.

19

Mahlon Keller House 116 North Sixth Street Owner: Danielle Matarese

Designer unknown, 1895. Original built for Abraham Benner, Located next to St. Stephen’s UCC Church. Queen Anne style. Keller was a prominent business owner and government official.

39

20

Jacob Lewis Apartment House 623 Arch Street Owner: Arasan Baile LLC

Designed By Milton Bean, 1900. Lewis founded the town butcher shop, which was across the street in another Bean-designed building.

21

Perkasie Fire House 100 N. Seventh Street Owner: Perkasie Enterprises

Designed By Oscar Martin, 1907. The second fire station in Perkasie was closed in the 1960s. It is now used as a storage and retail facility.

22

Trinity Lutheran Church 19 South Fifth Street Owner: Trinity Lutheran Church

Designed by Milton Bean in 1892 and Wiggins Architects in 1907. The latter addition obscured parts of Bean’s original Gothic design.

23

Theobold and Oppenheimer Cigar Factory

Designed By Oscar Martin, 1907. A cigar factory until the 1920s, the brick building was later used as a pants factory and for cabinet making. Recently owned as a condo building.

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Appendix C: Detailed Employment Sector Information This study took data from the United States Census for Perkasie for 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940, and broke down the occupational parts of each survey into several consistent employment categories.

The Cigar Maker category included any home-based or factory-based employment related to the Cigar industry, including the preparations and making of cigars, shipping and cigar-box making. The Clothing category included any employment related to the making of cloth and materials (such as silk), and employment in places where clothes were assembled. And hand stitch work was included here, including seamstress and tailor work, and the sewing of baseballs. The Retail/Crafts/Labor category included all

other jobs that were in the Service sector, involved labor or skilled craftsmanship, such as carpentry. In all, more than 15,000 records were examined, individually, on the Ancestry.com census database to get a true breakdown of Perkasie Borough’s employment history. The results showed documented evidence of Perkasie’s regional role in the cigar making industry. Contemporary newspapers talked of Perkasie producing 40 million cigars a year in 1913. In later years, the dormant cigar factories were taken over the clothing mills and plants.

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Table 6. Employment In Perkasie, By Industry Sector, 1880-1940 1880 Census People Share of Labor Total Population 302 Total In Labor Force 93 30.79% Retail/Crafts/Labor 72 77.42% Cigar Maker 13 13.98% Clothing 8 8.60% 1900 Census Data People Share of Labor Total Population 1,803 Total In Labor Force 718 39.82% Retail/Crafts/Labor 342 47.63% Cigar Maker 318 44.29% Clothing 58 8.08%

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1910 Census Data 1910 - Ward One 1910 - Ward Two 1910 - Ward Three 1910 - Total

Total Population 1,363 1,023 396 2,782 Total In Labor Force 633 46.44% 458 44.77% 152 38.38% 1,243 44.68% Retail/Crafts/Labor 236 37.28% 219 47.82% 81 53.29% 536 43.12% Cigar Maker 320 50.55% 197 43.01% 60 39.47% 577 46.42% Clothing 77 12.16% 42 9.17% 11 7.24% 130 10.46%

1920 Census Data 1920 - Ward One 1920 - Ward Two 1920 - Ward Three 1920 - Total

Total Population 1,461 1,285 404 3,150 Total In Labor Force 660 45.17% 602 46.85% 170 42.08% 1,432 45.46% Retail/Crafts/Labor 301 45.61% 281 42.58% 102 60.00% 684 47.77% Cigar Maker 215 32.58% 198 30.00% 25 14.71% 438 30.59% Clothing 144 21.82% 123 18.64% 43 25.29% 310 21.65%

1930 Census Data 1930 - Ward One 1930 - Ward Two 1930 - Ward Three 1930 - Total

Total Population 1,556 1,433 483 3,472 Total In Labor Force 579 37.21% 800 55.83% 216 44.72% 1,595 45.94% Retail/Crafts/Labor 336 58.03% 526 65.75% 135 62.50% 997 62.51% Cigar Maker 42 7.25% 64 8.00% 10 4.63% 116 7.27% Clothing 201 34.72% 210 26.25% 71 32.87% 482 30.22%

1940 Census Data 1940 - Ward One 1940 - Ward Two 1940 - Ward Three 1940 - Total

Total Population 1,931 1,659 569 4,159 Total In Labor Force 924 47.85% 649 39.12% 222 39.02% 1795 43.16% Retail/Crafts/Labor 404 43.72% 332 51.16% 121 54.50% 857 47.74% Cigar Maker 15 1.62% 25 3.85% 3 1.35% 43 2.40% Total Manufacturing 505 54.65% 292 44.99% 98 44.14% 895 49.86% Clothing 356 38.53% 177 27.27% 68 30.63% 601 33.48% Other Manufacturing 149 16.13% 115 17.72% 30 13.51% 294 16.38%

Appendix D. List of Structures In Proposed Town Center Historic District These records were compiled from the official Bucks County Board Of Assessment website, which property data for residential and commercial properties by tax code number. For the proposed Town Center Historic District, only the primary property owners are listed. During the Reconnaissance Survey, several properties were found to lack enough historic integrity to qualify as contributing resources, based on external changes to areas visible to the public. Others were not eligible based on their construction date after 1965.

43

No. Tax Code Owner- Names

Redacted in this Document

Address Era Date Eligible

Integrity

1 33-005-004 25 S NINTH ST 1966-1980

No No

2 33-005-005 820 W MARKET ST 1921-1930

Yes

3 33-005-007 814 W MARKET ST 1881-1900

Yes

4 33-005-008 8 S EIGHTH ST 1966-1980

Yes No

5 33-005-008-001

6 S EIGHTH ST 1966-1980

No No

6 33-005-008-001

6 S EIGHTH ST 1966-1980

No No

7 33-005-008-002

4 S EIGHTH ST 1966-1980

No No

8 33-005-008-003

2 S EIGHTH ST 1966-1980

No No

9 33-005-009 12 S EIGHTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

10 33-005-010 14 S EIGHTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

11 33-005-011 16 S EIGHTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

12 33-005-012 18 S EIGHTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

13 33-005-013 20 S EIGHTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

14 33-005-014 22 S EIGHTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

15 33-005-015 26 S EIGHTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

16 33-005-015-001

32 S EIGHTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

17 33-005-015-001

32 S EIGHTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

44

18 33-005-015-002

30 S EIGHTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

19 33-005-015-003

28 S EIGHTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

20 33-005-016 42 S EIGHT ST 1901-1920

Yes

21 33-005-024 219 S Ninth Street 1901-1920

Yes

22 33-005-030 812 W CHESTNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

23 33-005-031 800 W CHESTNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes No

24 33-005-033 50 S SEVENTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

25 33-005-034 W MARKET ST 1851-1880

Yes

26 33-005-094 601 W SPRUCE ST 1901-1920

Yes No

27 33-005-095 219 S SEVENTH ST 1921-1930

Yes No

28 33-005-096 606 W WALNUT ST Unknown No No

29 33-005-097 616 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes No

30 33-005-098 614 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

31 33-005-099 610 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

32 33-005-100 608 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

33 33-005-101 604 W WALNUT ST 1921-1930

Yes

34 33-005-102 602 W WALNUT ST 1921-1930

Yes

35 33-005-103 600 W WALNUT ST 1921-1930

Yes

36 33-005-104 524 W WALNUT ST 1921-1930

Yes

37 33-005-105 522 W WALNUT ST 1921- Yes

45

1930

38 33-005-106 520 W WALNUT ST 1941-1952

Yes

39 33-005-107 514 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

40 33-005-107-1 W SPRUCE ST 1931-1940

Yes

41 33-005-107-2 518 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

42 33-005-108 512 W WALNUT ST unknown No No

43 33-005-111 508 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

44 33-005-112 506 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

45 33-005-113 504 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

46 33-005-114 502 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

47 33-005-115 500 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

48 33-005-116 204 S FIFTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

49 33-005-117 208 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

50 33-005-118 210 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

51 33-005-119 212 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

52 33-005-120 214 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

53 33-005-120 214 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

54 33-005-121 216 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

55 33-005-122 218 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

56 33-005-123 220 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

46

57 33-005-126 217 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

58 33-005-127 213 S FIFTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

59 33-005-128 424 W WALNUT ST 1921-1930

Yes

60 33-005-129 418 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

61 33-005-130 414 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

62 33-005-131 408 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

63 33-005-132 406 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

64 33-005-133 404 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

65 33-005-136-001

321 W SPRUCE ST 1966-1980

No No

66 33-005-136-001

321 W SPRUCE ST 1966-1980

No No

67 33-005-136-002

319 W SPRUCE ST 1966-1980

No No

68 33-005-136-003

317 W SPRUCE ST 1966-1980

No No

69 33-005-136-004

315 W SPRUCE ST 1966-1980

No No

70 33-005-136-005

313 W SPRUCE ST 1966-1980

No No

71 33-005-139 312 W WALNUT ST 1941-1952

Yes

72 33-005-140 310 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

73 33-005-141 308 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

74 33-005-142 306 W WALNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

75 33-005-145 620 W CHESTNUT ST 1921-1930

Yes

47

76 33-005-146 606 W CHESTNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

77 33-005-148 106 S SIXTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

78 33-005-149 112 S SIXTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

79 33-005-150 114 S SIXTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

80 33-005-151 116 S SIXTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

81 33-005-152 120 S SIXTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

82 33-005-153 121 S SIXTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

83 33-005-154 117 S SIXTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

84 33-005-155 113 S SIXTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

85 33-005-156 109 S SIXTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

86 33-005-158 526 W CHESTNUT ST 1881-1900

Yes

87 33-005-163 511 W WALNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

88 33-005-164 516 W CHESTNUT ST 1881-1900

Yes No

89 33-005-165 510 W CHESTNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

90 33-005-166 102 S FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

91 33-005-167 104 S FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

92 33-005-168 110 S FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

93 33-005-169 112 S FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

94 33-005-170 114 S FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

48

95 33-005-171 116 S FIFTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

96 33-005-172 118 S FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

97 33-005-173 120 S FIFTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

98 33-005-174 124 S FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

99 33-005-175 128 S FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

100 33-005-176 134 S FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

101 33-005-177 509 W WALNUT ST 1881-1900

Yes

102 33-005-178 417 W WALNUT ST 1881-1900

Yes

103 33-005-179 131 S FIFTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

104 33-005-180 129 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

105 33-005-181 127 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

106 33-005-182 125 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

107 33-005-183 123 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

108 33-005-184 119 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

109 33-005-185 117 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

110 33-005-186 113 S FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

111 33-005-187 111 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

112 33-005-188 109 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

113 33-005-189 105 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

49

114 33-005-190 101 S FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

115 33-005-262 117 S SECOND ST 1966-1980

No No

116 33-005-273 1 S SEVENTH ST 1966-1980

No No

117 33-005-274 600 W MARKET ST 1953-1965

No No

118 33-005-275 607 W CHESTNUT ST 1921-1930

Yes

119 33-005-276 529 W CHESTNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

120 33-005-277 538 W MARKET ST 1881-1900

Yes

121 33-005-278 534 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

122 33-005-278-001

532 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

123 33-005-279 530 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

124 33-005-280 528 W MARKET ST 1921-1930

Yes

125 33-005-281 526 W MARKET ST 1941-1952

Yes

126 33-005-282 522 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

127 33-005-283 518 W MARKET ST 1851-1880

Yes

128 33-005-284 514 W MARKET ST 1881-1900

Yes

129 33-005-285 508 W MARKET ST 1941-1952

Yes

130 33-005-287 500 W MARKET ST 1941-1952

Yes No

131 33-005-288 6 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

132 33-005-289 14 S FIFTH ST 1851-1880

Yes

50

133 33-005-290 20 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

134 33-005-291 26 S FIFTH ST 1700-1850

Yes

135 33-005-292 28 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

136 33-005-293 501 W CHESTNUT ST 1931-1940

Yes

137 33-005-295 503 W CHESTNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

138 33-005-296 505 W CHESTNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

139 33-005-297 509 W CHESTNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

140 33-005-298 513 W CHESTNUT ST 1881-1900

Yes

141 33-005-299 517 W CHESTNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

142 33-005-300 519 CHESTNUT ST 1901-1920

Yes

143 33-005-301 15 S SIXTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

144 33-005-301.001

525 W CHESTNUT ST 1881-1900

Yes

145 33-005-303 17 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

146 33-005-304 15 S FIFTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

147 33-005-305 13 S FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

148 33-005-306 11 S FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

149 33-005-307 7 S FIFTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

150 33-005-308 1 S FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

151 33-005-438 10 N EIGHTH ST 1953-1965

No No

51

152 33-005-439 817 W MARKET ST 1966-1980

No No

153 33-005-443 107 N NINTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

154 33-005-455 124 N EIGHTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

155 33-005-459 12 N SEVENTH ST 1981-2016

No No

156 33-005-460 20 N SEVENTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

157 33-005-461 100 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

158 33-005-462 106 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

160 33-005-463 108 N SEVENTH ST 1981-2016

No No

161 33-005-464 120 N SEVENTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

162 33-005-465 132 N SEVENTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

163 33-005-466 140 N SEVENTH ST 1931-1940

Yes

164 33-005-468 150 N SEVENTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

165 33-005-472 623 W MARKET ST 1981-2016

No No

166 33-005-473 621 W MARKET ST 1881-1900

Yes

167 33-005-474 615 W MARKET ST 1921-1930

Yes

168 33-005-475 613 W MARKET ST 1931-1940

Yes

169 33-005-476 609 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

170 33-005-477 601 W MARKET ST 1921-1930

Yes

171 33-005-478 602 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

52

172 33-005-479 606 ARCH ST 1941-1952

Yes No

173 33-005-480 608 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

174 33-005-481 610 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

175 33-005-481 610 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

176 33-005-482 614 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

177 33-005-483 616 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

178 33-005-484 618 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

179 33-005-485 15 N SEVENTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

180 33-005-486 13 N SEVENTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

181 33-005-487 127 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

182 33-005-488 129 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

183 33-005-489 135 N SEVENTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

184 33-005-490 137 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

185 33-005-491 139 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

186 33-005-492 141 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

187 33-005-493 143 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

188 33-005-494 145 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

189 33-005-495 147 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

190 33-005-496 623 ARCH ST 1931-1940

Yes

53

191 33-005-497 107 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

192 33-005-498 111 N SEVENTH ST 1953-1965

No No

193 33-005-499 113 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

194 33-005-500 115 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

195 33-005-501 119 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

196 33-005-502 121 N SEVENTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

197 33-005-503 123 N SEVENTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

198 33-005-504 125 N SEVENTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

199 33-005-523 120 N SIXTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

200 33-005-524 116 N SIXTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

201 33-005-525 110 N SIXTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

202 33-005-526 615 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

203 33-005-527 617 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

204 33-005-528 619 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

205 33-005-529 621 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

206 33-005-530 523 W MARKET ST 1881-1900

Yes

207 33-005-531 519 W MARKET ST 1881-1900

Yes

208 33-005-532 515 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

209 33-005-533 513 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

54

210 33-005-534 509 W MARKET ST 1881-1900

Yes

211 33-005-535 507 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

212 33-005-536-001

505 W MARKET ST 1901-1920

Yes

213 33-005-537 504 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

214 33-005-538 508 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

215 33-005-539 512 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

216 33-005-540 514 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

217 33-005-541 516 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

218 33-005-542 518 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

219 33-005-543 520 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

220 33-005-544 530 ARCH ST 1966-1980

No No

221 33-005-545 529 ARCH ST 1931-1940

Yes

222 33-005-545 529 ARCH ST 1931-1940

Yes

223 33-005-546 109 N SIXTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

224 33-005-547 111 N SIXTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

225 33-005-548-001

115 N SIXTH ST 1851-1880

Yes

226 33-005-548-002

119 N SIXTH ST 1941-1952

Yes

227 33-005-549 112 N FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

228 33-005-550 110 N FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

55

229 33-005-551 ARCH ST 1960s No No

230 33-005-552 523 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

231 33-005-552 523 ARCH ST 1901-1920

Yes

232 33-005-553 525 ARCH ST 1881-1900

Yes

233 33-005-554 530 RACE ST 1881-1900

Yes

234 33-005-555 526 RACE ST 1881-1900

Yes

235 33-005-556 520 RACE ST 1901-1920

Yes

236 33-005-556-001

522 RACE ST 1901-1920

Yes

237 33-005-593 3 N FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

238 33-005-594 5 N FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

239 33-005-594-001

5 N FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

240 33-005-595 9 N FIFTH ST 1901-1920

Yes

241 33-005-596 15 N FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

242 33-005-597 17 N FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

243 33-005-598 19 N FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

244 33-005-607 101 N FIFTH ST 1921-1930

Yes

245 33-005-608 111 N FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

246 33-005-609 113 N FIFTH ST 1881-1900

Yes

56

Appendix E: Resources Consulted

Comprehensive Plan. Perkasie Borough, 2 Jan. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"Bucks County Census Records, 1880-1940."Ancestry. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s."Perkasie News, 1881-1943. Newspapers.com, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Hunter, C. M., and James D. Scott. Atlas of boroughs & towns in Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery Counties on line of North Pennsylvania R.R. and branches on Bound Brook Railroad to Langhorn, also plans of Newtown & Hatboro. Philadelphia: J.D. Scott, 1886. Print.

McAlester, Virginia, A. Lee McAlester, Lauren Jarrett, and Juan Rodriguez-Arnaiz. A field guide to American houses: the definitive guide to identifying and understanding America's domestic architecture. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. Print.

"National Register of Historic Places Official Website--Part of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"National Trust for Historic Preservation:. "Together, We're Saving Places | National Trust for Historic Preservation. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"Perkasie Borough Fire Insurance Maps." Sanborn Maps Geo Edition | University Libraries. N.p., 02 Jan. 1970. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

"Perkasie, Pa. Property Records. "Bucks County, Pennsylvania | Board of Assessment. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.