In a city such as Philadelphia, where row house development is so prevalent and inter-connected with the overall history of urban development, it’s not unusual to see row houses evolve beyond domestic uses. Typically these include boutiques, salons, gift shops, and restaurants, to name a few. However, larger institutions in town also make use of the humble row house, such as this row located on the Peirce College campus.
Peirce College was founded in 1865 to educate those who wished to take advantage of growing business opportunities after the Civil War. Originally, the college was located on Chestnut street but in 1915 it moved to the present location on Pine Street, which is where these row houses are located. It’s wonderful that these are in very good shape with their original exterior design maintained, even including the use of shutters.
Peirce is not the only institution of higher learning that has row houses in use on campus. New York University makes use of Washington Mews for department offices as well.
Row House Living 