Row: A Historical & Architectural Identification of the Philadelphia Rowhouse

When I first moved to the city of Philadelphia in 2018, I was taken away by the variety of homes that lined the city streets. I could walk down any street and see houses from the late 1700s to the early 1900s, but I always wondered how they all ended up residing next to each other. Growing up in New York City, I was always fascinated by architecture in relation to the time period it was built, as well as the stylistic elements that could be attributed to the time. But with Philadelphia being the first American city to implement the construction of houses in a row, there is something quite inspiring about its story in relation to urban housing and development.

This project is extremely close to my heart. Not only does it reveal my obsession with all things old, but personally visiting each of these houses has given me an even broader perspective of Philadelphia as a city and as a community. Not only did designing this book require the utmost attention to detail (which I have no problem with), but it allowed me to have a more in-depth knowledge of a topic that has been consuming my mind since I moved to the city of Philadelphia. This was my chance to put all my ideas and research down on paper and I’m so glad I did.