Germantown: Lecture, Book Preserves History of Neighborhood

A woman pages through Minardi's and looks at the pictures of the historical buildings in Northwest Philadelphia.

Joseph Minardi was at the Lovett Memorial Library at 6945 Germantown Ave. this week to talk about his latest book Historic Architecture in Northwest Philadelphia, 1690-1930s.

Minardi talks with a woman about his latest book after the lecture.
Joseph Minardi talked with a woman about his latest book after the lecture.

The lecture, hosted by the Friends of Lovett Memorial Library, was attended by nearly 40 people and was about Minardi’s latest book that was released in December on the history of some of Northwest Philadelphia’s most historical buildings.

“I have always loved this specific area of the city because of this rich history and its beautiful architecture,” Minardi spoke of his inspiration behind the book. “So it is something I always wanted to do.”

Some of the Germantown buildings Minardi discussed in his lecture were the Cliveden House and the historical homes scattered throughout the neighborhood.

Minardi said he hopes that with the help of his new book people will realize the importance behind historical buildings in Germantown.

“Unfortunately, we have lost a lot of buildings over the years in Germantown,” Minardi said, “and once a building is gone you can never replace it. So this is a way to connect to our past and we wanted to make sure that we don’t lose that connection.”

In order to find useful information for his book, Minardi turned to the Germantown Historical Society.

A woman pages through Minardi's and looks at the pictures of the historical buildings in Northwest Philadelphia.
A woman paged through Minardi’s and looked at the pictures of the historical buildings in Northwest Philadelphia.

“Germantown Historical Society was a big help in making this book. I went there many days to get valuable research information and they helped out with some of the pictures,” Minardi said. “They have an incredible library and it is a good place to go with research and are willing to help with anything you would need.”

Minardi, a Phildelphia native, said he hopes to continue his lecture series on the history of Northwest Philadelphia and said he is working with the Germantown Historical Society to arrange future presentations.

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