American Philosophical Society

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

CLIENT
American Philosophical Society

LOCATION
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

STRUCTURE
We investigated three of the buildings that the American Philosophical Society occupies between Fourth and Fifth and Chestnut and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The APS Museum itself is located within Philosophical Hall at 104 South Fifth Street. Of the three buildings, Philosophical Hall is the only one that displays collections which are accessible to the public. The second building, Richardson Hall, is located at 431 Chestnut Street. The museum staff and administration offices are located within Richardson Hall, along with two other non-APS Museum tenants. The third facility is located just east of Richardson Hall, and known as Franklin Hall. It houses an Auditorium that is primarily used for Membership Meetings. Our investigation took place in late 2008 and the final report was completed in early 2009.

CHALLENGE
Our report described and assessed the buildings as they exist and in their role as “containers” that house the collections. These containers provide the basic functions of preventing water infiltration, providing a controlled environment, and maximizing accessibility.

SCOPE OF SERVICE

Provided a summary of the building and systems conditions for the APS Museum as they relate to the storage and exhibition of the museum’s collections.
Identified and provided issues relevant to the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) assessment in the form of a written report.

SOLUTION

We identified and provided general recommendations on how to improve the buildings in their capacity as “containers”.
The recommendations were meant to assist the Museum in protecting, preserving, and providing access to their historic collections.
We found that, although each building is finely constructed for its respective age and original purpose, neither is ideal as a museum…a not uncommon issue associated with museum structures. However, the Society wishes to remain in these buildings.

HISTORIC STATUS
The APS is the oldest learned society in the United Sates, founded in 1793 by Benjamin Franklin. The Library has collections known worldwide in early American history and culture, Native American anthropology and linguistics, and the history of science, medicine, and technology. The Museum houses an array of collections including 18^th Century objects, scientific instruments, and fine art.Philosophical Hall was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.