Philadelphia has created its first historic district designated to recognize Black history

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia has its first local historic district designated to recognize its Black history. The Philadelphia Historical Commission voted unanimously Friday to create the Christian Street/Black Doctors Row Historic District, capping a yearslong effort to preserve the area referred to as a “main street” for upper-middle-class Black Philadelphians in the 20th century. City Council’s one-year demolition moratorium for the six-block stretch of the Graduate Hospital neighborhood expired July 1. The new designation protects the area against demolitions and adds a layer of review for ...