The original windows of a historic house in the middle of Awbury Arboretum have been removed without approval from the Philadelphia Historical Commission (PHC) or a work permit from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, according to the commission.
The house, at 5 Awbury Road in Germantown, is part of the Awbury Historic District, under the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, and it received historic designation in 2010.
According to George McNeely, an architectural historian and occasional contributor to the Local, the house “was designed by noted Quaker …
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The original windows of a historic house in the middle of Awbury Arboretum have been removed without approval from the Philadelphia Historical Commission (PHC) or a work permit from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, according to the commission.
The house, at 5 Awbury Road in Germantown, is part of the Awbury Historic District, under the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, and it received historic designation in 2010.
According to George McNeely, an architectural historian and occasional contributor to the Local, the house “was designed by noted Quaker architect Addison Hutton and constructed in 1875.”
He said the owner replaced the original windows with “cheap vinyl ‘landlord’ windows.”
Robert Peters, who's owned the house for over a decade and recently transferred it to his nephew, told the Local that McNeely's statement is "not true."
"They're not cheap, that's insulting and that's defamatory. The windows were carefully crafted to absolutely match the rotted with inefficient, uninsulated windows we've had here since 1872," Peters said.
In a statement to the Local, the PHC wrote that it was aware of the unpermitted work that occurred during the July 4 weekend.
The statement said, “PHC has been in contact with the property owner to discuss review requirements for historically designated properties and with staff at the Department of Licenses and Inspections. We are seeking to resolve this through the City’s enforcement process, which L&I has initiated by issuing the relevant violations.”
The renovation got the attention of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, which posted on Facebook, urging the property owner to immediately stop renovations, and calling on the city to enforce its preservation protections “before more damage is done.”
The group asserted, “Original arched wood windows are being replaced with vinyl windows without permits or Historical Commission review, a violation of the city’s preservation ordinance. This threatens the integrity of one of the most significant buildings in the Awbury Arboretum Historic District.”
The Local reached out to L&I to confirm whether a violation was sent, but did not receive a response as of press time Tuesday.
Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com.
This story was updated on Jul. 17 to include a quote from Robert Peters.
