Fifty years ago, Chestnut Hill’s historic importance was recognized on a national level.

The neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 20, 1985, according to Chestnut Hill Local archives. The National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is the U.S. government’s official list historic sites worthy of preservation.

“One of the most important things that has happened to Chestnut Hill,” Nancy Hubby, former president of the Chestnut Hill Historical Society, said in an article published on June 27, 1985. “It will be one of the decisive events in shaping the future of Chestnut Hill, making a significant difference in preserving our ‘greene countrie towne.’”

Hubby and Shirley Hanson, also a former president of the Chestnut Hill Historical Society, worked with developer Richard Snowden and consultant Jefferson Moak to nominate Chestnut Hill for the National Register. The nomination summarizes the community’s 200+ year history and its architectural significance.

It took multiple tries, but eventually the The National Register Review Board of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission unanimously approved the Hill’s bid to be a national historic district and sent the application to Washington, D.C. In May of 1985, Snowden delivered the application to the keeper of the National Register in person at the federal capitol, and carried a letter from Congressman Lawrence Coughlin, endorsing the Hill’s request to be on the National Register.

Al Thorell Jr., then-executive director of the Chestnut Hill Development Group, told the Local in the 1985 article that, apart from the honorary designation, Chestnut Hill benefited from rules stating private property owners can get tax credits for rehabilitating buildings within the district for incoming-producing use.

The Chestnut Hill historic district features more than 2,600 buildings, some dating back as far as 1744, and its borders are Northwestern Avenue on the north and Cresheim Valley Drive on the south, as well as Wissahickon Creek on the west and Stenton Avenue on the east, according to the Chestnut Hill Conservancy.

According to the Conservancy, it is one of the largest historic districts of its kind in the United States.

In an Op-Ed to the Local in 2022, Hanson said she was worried for the future preservation of Chestnut Hill’s historic streetscape. She wrote that the city of Philadelphia was searching for tax ratables from developers who tear down buildings.

She added, “And now, more than 40 years later, Chestnut Hill’s historic character remains a powerful reason why it continues to attract and support a flourishing business community, as well as a passionately devoted group of residents.”

Abby Weiss is an environmental reporter for the Local and a Report for America corps member. She can be reached at Abby@chestnuthilllocal.com.