Philadelphia's development boom has led to a demolition crisis in which historic buildings fall prey to the wrecking ball.

1. 20 EXTANT WINTER 2018
ILLUSTRATION | BEN LEECH
The demolition of 309 South Broad Street, the former
location of Philadelphia International Records (PIR),
both saddens and angers me. Although the building
was not listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic
Places, it was a place where history happened. PIR
owners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff wrote and pro-
duced songs that were the soundtrack to our lives. In-
deed, people all over the world grooved to “The Sound
of Philadelphia.” At the same time, the message in
Gamble and Huff’s music inspired a new generation of
social justice activists.
Unlisted Philadelphia
BY FAYE M. ANDERSON
Guest contributor Faye M. Anderson is the director of All That Philly Jazz, a public history project that is documenting and
mapping Philadelphia’s golden age of jazz.
A generation earlier, the building next door at 311 South
Broad Street inspired activists and artists alike as home
of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) sponsored
Philadelphia Fine Print Workshop. There, upstairs from
the Regency Ballroom and Benny the Bum’s Night Club
(“Where the famous gather”) internationally acclaimed
African-American artist Dox Thrash developed his influ-
ential carborundum printmaking technique.
In 2015, the buildings were demolished to make way for
a proposed hotel and residential complex. For two years,
a hole in the ground has sat in the heart of Avenue of the
Arts. Meanwhile, we have lost two iconic buildings that
were associated with the cultural heritage of the city of
Philadelphia, the commonwealth and the nation.
Never
Philadelphia International Records
Address: 301-9 South Broad Street
Built: 1924
Architect: Abraham Levy
Regency Ballroom & Philadelphia
Fine Print Shop
Address: 311 South Broad Street
Built: 1922
Architect: David Levy