From our blog
Church Street Market House Earns Historic Preservation Award
The West Chester Downtown Foundation awarded the Church Street Market House partners the Bricks & Mortar Preservation Award this past year! The award was honored due to the extensive restoration of 120 N. Church St., ensuring the building’s historic preservation and modern viability in Downtown West Chester.
Initially constructed in 1870, the remarkable brick building at 120 N. Church St was built as a market house for local farmers to distribute their crops and farm goods. A few years later, the building was converted into a livery stable. It was used as a packaging plant during World War II for Wyeth Laboratories’ groundbreaking commercial penicillin production. In years to follow, the building served as a multitude of different businesses, including a freeze-drying facility, an automotive repair garage, and a bus station.
After many lifetimes and purposes, the building was once again renovated in 1990 and expanded into a two-story central atrium space with professional offices that housed architectural firms, interior designers, and professional service companies.
After years of deterioration, the partners purchased the Church Street Market House in 2019 and undertook the responsibility of restoring it to its former glory. The Market House’s exterior was refurbished and its interior was modernized. The Market Street Partners were able to update the remarkable space while still maintaining its historic structure. The exterior restoration included repairing window moldings, soffits, and cornice details around the perimeter roofline using the appropriate materials to maintain historical accuracy and appearance. The exterior restoration also included fully restoring the existing gutters, downspouts, and a fully reinforced metal roof restoration system utilizing Preservation Products (HP 1) to protect the building from water intrusion. The building’s interior was upgraded with decorative features, lighting, furniture, and artwork. These improvements to the Church Street Market house will continue its viability as a modern office building in town.
“The renovation brought the building’s common areas and office spaces up to standard for doing business today while preserving its West Chester heritage,” said Adam Loew, President of J. Loew & Associates and partner at Church Street Market House.
The adaptive use of West Chester’s historic structure for modern services has been critical to the borough’s economic success. 120 N. Church St has been a pillar of the West Chester community as a center for commerce since the 1800s. The Market Street Partners have ensured its continuance of success in this sector.
The Board of Commissioners of the County of Chester congratulated and recognized Church Street Market Partners as the recipient of the 2022 Bricks and Mortar Preservation Award. The Senate of Pennsylvania and Congress have also congratulated and acknowledged the Church Street Market Partners for their contributions to the West Chester community.
Book your tour today to walk through the historic building and discover how Church Street Market House could be your next home base in downtown West Chester. We are also proud to offer this beautiful space as a backdrop for your next special event. We welcome showers, anniversaries, birthdays, corporate events, and more! Contact us today for more information.