Head House Square

Head House Square
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
The Head house
Location	Both sides of the 400 block of S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	39°56′32″N 75°8′46″W / 39.94222°N 75.14611°WCoordinates: 39°56′32″N 75°8′46″W / 39.94222°N 75.14611°W
Area	9.9 acres (4.0 ha)
Built	1775
Architect	John Haviland; Van Arkel & Moss
NRHP Reference #	72001158[1]
Added to NRHP	June 19, 1972

Head House Square, or Headhouse Square, is a historic district in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of its contributing properties is the historic New Market (a National Historic Landmark), at one end of which stands the Head House (originally a firehouse), from which the square takes its name.^[2]

Buildings on the square

The area, which comprises 22 contributing properties over 9.9 acres (40,000 m²), was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1972. The houses surrounding the square are from the late 18th to early 19th centuries, and the area was extensively restored in the 1950s and 1960s. The houses have always been used both as residences and as commercial buildings. Most are typical middle class examples of their time, though the John Ross House at 401 S. 2nd was one of the largest townhouses of its day. It was visited by George Washington.^[2]

References

1. National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. "Head House Square" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Nomination Forms. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. 1970. Retrieved January 8, 2014.