The Philadelphia Historical Commission and its committees hold public meetings. At these meetings, they review building permit applications for work to historically designated properties, as well as matters related to historic designation. Interested parties can comment in-person on matters before the Historical Commission. Or, comments may be submitted in writing in advance of the public meeting. Written remarks may be sent to preservation@phila.gov.
The Historical Commission’s monthly meeting is held in a hybrid format. Commissioners and Historical Commission staff attend the meetings in-person at 1515 Arch Street. Applicants, owners, and the public have the option to attend in-person or remotely on Zoom. The Architectural Committee, Committee on Historic Designation, and Committee on Financial Hardship meet remotely on Zoom.
General resources
- If you’re interested in attending an upcoming meeting, see our event calendar.
- If you missed a meeting, view our recordings of public meetings.
Meeting schedule and guidelines
| Title | Description | Category | Author | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Historical Commission meeting dates and deadlines PDF | The 2026 dates and submission deadlines for meetings of the Philadelphia Historical Commission and its committees | November 04, 2025 | |||
| FAQs for Architectural Committee meeting - September 22, 2026 PDF | FAQs for Architectural Committee meeting scheduled for September 22, 2026 | September 10, 2026 | |||
| FAQs for Committee on Historic Designation meeting - September 16, 2026 PDF | FAQs for Committee on Historic Designation meeting scheduled for September 16, 2026 | September 9, 2026 | |||
| PHC staff report - August 2026 PDF | Report on the activities of the Historical Commission staff, August 2026 | September 10, 2026 | |||
| Historical Commission business instructions PDF | Instructions for conducting business with the Philadelphia Historical Commission. | January 13, 2025 | |||
| Historical Commission guidelines for conduct at public meetings PDF | Guidelines for conduct at public meetings of the Historical Commission. | June 2, 2023 |
Recent agendas and minutes
| Title | Description | Category | Author | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee on Historic Designation agenda - September 16, 2026 PDF | September 9, 2026 | ||||
| Architectural Committee minutes - August 25, 2026 PDF | September 2, 2026 | ||||
| Historical Commission minutes - August 14, 2026 PDF | September 2, 2026 |
Building permit applications under review
| Title | Description | Category | Author | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 Chestnut St. building permit application (Continued) PDF | July 29, 2026 | ||||
| 1910 Chestnut St. public comment PDF | September 8, 2026 |