Ahead of an upcoming renovation, the Chestnut Hill Conservancy worked with owners of the Germantown Trust Company Building, PTBK, LLC, to preserve certain elements of the building's interior.

Opening in 1928, the Germantown Trust Company Building sits at 8527 Germantown Ave. PTBK, LLC purchased the building in December 2023 and it will soon undergo a renovation to reopen as Chase Bank, an important addition, since TD Bank plans to close its location on the Avenue June 5. 

The Germantown Trust Company Building owner’s initial intention was to convert the site into a restaurant, but the company said in a statement to the Local “After review, it was determined that since the building had always been a bank, it made more sense to pursue a similar use and Chase quickly emerged as the right partner to continue serving the Chestnut Hill community.” 

The Philadelphia Historical Commission granted historic status to the building in 2024. However, historic status only impacts the exterior of a building, leaving the interior completely up to the owner’s discretion. With the renovations looming, PTBK, LLC notified the Conservancy. 

Conservancy Executive Director David Gest and other staff began discussions with PTBK LLC, and J.P. Morgan Chase. Gest explained the value of the building’s interior historic fabric, with both companies developing a shared appreciation for the building’s history, according to the Conservancy. 

PTBK, LLC’s statement added, “Even though the guidelines for historic preservation in Philadelphia are limited to the interior, it was important to us to learn as much as possible about the history and significance of the former Germantown Trust building, so we could work with Chase to maintain as much of the character of Chestnut Hill as possible, and there was no one better suited to help than the Conservancy.” 

As a result of this agreement, five elements of the building's interior will be preserved throughout the renovations. 

Gest told the Local, “It has a lot of really great historic features, including this beautiful 1927 mural painted by this gentleman named George Harding that depicts the battle of Germantown.”

He added, “We appreciate that they gave us a heads up and that they were willing to entertain all the conversations we had with them, including with their tenant, Chase. And we appreciate Chase's willingness as well.” 

Along with the mural, the original fireplace, paneled mezzanine, gold floor plaque depicting zodiac symbols, period lighting fixtures, and at least two of the original teller window grilles will be preserved onsite. 

Other elements, such as the vault door, may still be preserved onsite, but are dependent on code compliance for the renovation. Any removed features will be carefully inventoried and shared with the Conservancy for safekeeping. 

Gest said, “I'm interested in having more conversations with property owners on this sort of voluntary, community-oriented approach, to encourage these types of discussions.” 

Going forward, he hopes more property owners and developers can “collaborate on designs of interiors, exteriors, new buildings, etc, even if they are not legally required to have those conversations.” 

For developers, Gest said it’s important to understand that preservation “is going to be a win, win situation. More people are going to want to live in your building, patronize your building, they're going to think more highly of you as the property owner if you’re willing to have these conversations.”

Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com