Its on Broad St north of Erie (I am pretty sure). Does anyone know what it once was or the name of it? I have driven by it many times and just curious about its history. Thanks!

Is this perhaps the old Stetson hat factory? I know it's up N. Broad there somewhere.

There's a huge abandoned building pretty much right across the street from the North Philadelphia train station. Maybe you're thinking of that one?

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That would be at Broad and Glenwood, about 3/4 of a mile or so south of Erie. A little far to confuse the intersection, no?

Could the building be an old, no longer used PSFS building at Broad and Erie?

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xCiKCxfYqE

I believe that you're talking about the Botany 500 building...

(cue Wrath of Khan vocals "Botany Bay? BOTANY BAY!)

Big, nasty scary looking building in what was once the heart of the industrial center of Philadelphia.

Perhaps Philadephia's most Shellely-esque monument to coal as king
and blue-collar jobs based on hand-crafting...


I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert ... Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works ye mighty and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

-- Percy Shelley



Hal

It's the Beury Building : Follow this link - it's the 3rd picture down

http://jim-frizzell.com/philadelphia...germantown.htm
This represents the hideousness of what it is now


The following link is a small depiction of what it look like when I lived
in the neighborhood :
http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoAr...px?ImageId=798

I would post the actual pictures, but it would make my brain explode !

Originally, this was the National Bank of North Philadelphia; at the time I was
growing up (1950's - 1960's) , it was just another major office building across the street from my school and church - St Stephen's Parochial @ Broad and Butler, a block further north on Broad Street, north also of Erie Avenue.

Another link to the more historic aspects of this wonderful art deco structure;
with membership to the architectural affiliation, you can view the full history:

http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org...lay.cfm/134993

Botany was on Allegheny Avenue.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xCiKCxfYqE

Hmm, very interesting following the links. Architect William H. Lee was well known for his movie theater designs.

http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org...ects.cfm/25624

Also the PA ARCH link includes the National Register nomination form (yes, it is elligible for restoration tax credits) with a fuller history.

http://www.arch.state.pa.us/pdfs/H077441_01B.pdf

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--
“I am indeed well aware of the history of Conventional (sic) Hall, both globally and locally, and can assure you that we are carefully exploring avenues for its future.” -- Penn President Amy Gutmann 5 days before demolition began.

It is the Buery building...thanks for all your responses. Are there any plans to save it? Its got scaffolding up in the front that looks like its been there forever.

I love this beautiful building! I've seen the scaffolding on it as well, hopefully its for some type of restoration.

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