Head House Square (Commercial Use)

Head House Square is one of two commercial hubs within the predominantly residential Society Hill neighborhood. The second hub is on S 5th St, between Spruce and Pine Streets, where mixed-use buildings were cleared to build a supermarket and a few additional shops.

The Head House refers to the fire engine house at the head of the market structure known as the Shambles. In 1745, merchants began setting up sheds here to sell products. The Head House building was constructed in 1804, with market use continuing on site. In 1821, the market was enclosed. The accompanying photograph shows the rear of the market, at S 2nd and Lombard Streets, in 1916. Architect G. Edwin Brumbaugh (who also designed the neo-colonial Presbyterian Historical Society on Lombard St), restored the Head House and New Market in 1957-58. The remainder of the Square was rehabilitated in 1965-66 by the developer Van Arkel and Moss. There once was a sister market building located between Lombard and South Street, but it was demolished in the 1950s.

The buildings in the surrounding square have long housed commercial uses—with taverns, dry goods shops, bakeries, doctor’s offices, tailor shops, and druggists historically occupying ground-floor units. More recent urban renewal additions include the building that today houses the CVS on Lombard St and a parking structure at Lombard and S 2nd Sts that now hosts a pizzeria on the ground floor.

Over the years, there have been various investments around the area, including the failed Newmarket, a small mall, to the immediate east of the Head House market. It opened and closed in the 1980s. But overall, the area remains relatively popular. The Head House Conservancy restored the Head House Market in 1994. In 2009, the Food Trust began hosting a popular farmer’s market within the space on Sundays, ensuring the continuation of its historic use. This site makes clear that commercial uses do continue in the neighborhood, albeit in select, clustered locations. In Head House, they center around historic buildings. At the S 5th St supermarket, more contemporary structures set the scene.

Image Source: PhillyHistory.org