Engaging Frankford

Treasure Philly! Frankford launched in October 2025, in partnership with the Historical Society of Frankford, Frankford CDC, the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and the Free Library of Philadelphia.

We are working together to support community-led preservation of Frankford's cultural resources.

Photo: Church Street and Frankford Avenue, 1921.

Photo courtesy of PhillyHistory.org, a project of the Philadelphia Department of Records.

Fall 2025

Historical Society of Frankford Open House. October 4, 2025. Photo by Aaron Smith (@upcyclelens).

Walking Tour: Frankford Churches. October 18, 2025. Photo by Kristin Hankins.

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Treasure Philly! Frankford launched with two public events: an Open House at the Historical Society of Frankford on October 4, 2025, and a Walking Tour of Historic Churches on October 18, 2025.

The open house provided a hands-on opportunity to explore the Historical Society’s fascinating museum as well as its expansive collections of photographs, maps, and ephemera.

The event included photographer Joseph V. Labolito sharing his images of Frankford Avenue in 1982.

Attendees discussed local history and resources with Philadelphia Historical Commission staff, Historical Society of Frankford volunteers, and project partners Frankford CDC, the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and the Free Library of Philadelphia.

The walking tour, led by Gail McCormick, highlighted three of Frankford's historic churches within a one-mile loop of the Historical Society of Frankford. In addition to historical information, participants learned about current programs at the churches.

The featured churches were St. Mark's Church, Frankford (brief presentation by Lay Leader Cristina Mancini), Moses Holy Temple Church (brief presentation by Pastor Aaron Kidd), and Word of Faith Church (brief presentation by Bishop Humphrey).

Picturing Frankford Avenue: c.1910s & 1982

Joseph V. Labolito, Margaret-Orthodox Station, 1982.

See more at @PhiladelphiaCollections on Facebook and Instagram.

Joseph V. Labolito, Margaret Street at Frankford Avenue, 1982.

See more at @PhiladelphiaCollections on Facebook and Instagram.

Howard George, Frankford Avenue, looking north from Church Street, c. 1910-1920.

T. Comly Hunter Collection, Historical Society of Frankford. Part of a 76-image series documenting both sides of Frankford Avenue before the construction of the El.

Joseph V. Labolito, Margaret-Orthodox Station, 1982.

See more at @PhiladelphiaCollections on Facebook and Instagram.

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ThAttendees at our first public event - the Historical Society of Frankford Open House - viewed this slideshow illustrating Frankford Avenue in the early and late twentieth century.

Late twentieth century photographs are by Joseph V. Labolito. Joseph is a distinguished photographer based in Philadelphia, known for his extensive and evocative portrayal of the city’s rich tapestry.
Joseph's photographs are housed in several prestigious public and private collections, including the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University and the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Print and Picture Collection, which features nearly 1,300 images.

See more of Joseph's work at @PhiladelphiaCollections on Facebook and Instagram.

Early twentieth century images are by Howard George (1869-1959), who operated a sporting goods store at 4359 Frankford Avenue for 61 years. The photographs were taken between 1910 and 1920 to document Frankford Avenue before the construction of the El. The series, which consists of 76 images, illustrates both sides of the avenue. George’s photographs are in the Historical Society of Frankford’s T. Comly Hunter Collection.

Celebrating and Preserving Historic Frankford Churches

Meeting of Historic Frankford Churches. January 22, 2026.

Photo by Mike McCormick.

Meeting of Historic Frankford Churches. January 22, 2026.

Photo by Mike McCormick.

Historic Designation Meeting with Historic Frankford Churches. February 27, 2026.

Photo by Kristin Hankins.

Meeting of Historic Frankford Churches. January 22, 2026.

Photo by Mike McCormick.

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Building on interest in the October 2025 walking tour of historic churches led by Gail McCormick, the team turned its focus toward engaging local churches more than, or nearly, 100 years old.

We are prioritizing listening to, and learning from, church representatives in order to develop supportive programs.

In January 2026, historic Frankford church representatives, project partners, Historical Society of Frankford board members, and staff from the Philadelphia Historical Commission, Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and Partners for Sacred Places convened for a discussion about historic preservation. Attendees expressed interest in learning more about designation. In response, we organized a meeting exploring historic designation in February 2026.

Our February meeting featured presentations by Philadelphia Historical Commission and PA State Historic Preservation Office staff, followed by a discussion. The event also marked the opening of an exciting exhibit curated by Gail McCormick in the Historical Society of Frankford's gallery celebrating historic Frankford churches (on view Spring 2026).

Our ongoing initiative seeks to strengthen relationships while collaboratively crafting a preservation strategy which celebrates and sustains Frankford's vibrant network of historic churches.

Join us

Please check our events page to learn about upcoming public programs!