Many of the loft buildings in Old City originated as sweat shops producing clothing. Two leading examples are buildings originally built for merchant Charles Leland who made his money in the wholesale dry goods business. He actually commissioned a complex of three buildings, built around a central courtyard with separate structures on South Third Street, Chestnut Street, and Bank Street. The courtyard allowed for light and air for the rear of these landlocked buildings.
The glorious, granite-fronted Leland building at 237 Chestnut Street, was designed by Stephen Decatur Button (1813- 1897), along with his brother-in-law, Joseph Hoxie, and is an outstanding example of the commercial Italianate style. Completed in 1854, this 5-story, 3-bay building exerted an enormous influence on later development in Old City. Above the ornamented storefront, projecting granite piers soar upward. The building is crowned with a massive bracketed and corbelled granite cornice and central shaped parapet emblazoned with the name “Leland.”
Button also designed 239 Chestnut, which was destroyed by fire in 2018 and 241 Chestnut, which was badly damaged.
The Leland Building at 37 - 39 N 3rd St. is a 5-story, 5-bay, granite, Italianate building with a storefront. Charles Leland purchased the Old Congress Hall Hotel property, located on this site in 1835. In 1855, he had a new building constructed. It was designed by Stephen D. Button, built by Solomon K. Hoxie, granite cutter, and John Kilgore and John R. Hudders, carpenters. It's one of the most significant 19th century commercial buildings in Old City. The facade has a granite cornice on granite brackets and is crowned by a granite name block -which is inscribed with "Leland 1855"
A third building for Leland, was built at 24 - 30 Bank St. It is a 4 story, Queen Anne building with a Greek Revival storefront, bearing no resemblance to the other two. It's currently an apartment building, Bank Street Court. It's rear backs up to the courtyard, originally shared by the other two. Despite being three separate buildings, all three are part of the same parcel on city records and have the same owner.
1879 Lithograph showing 237 237 Chestnut (w/fire escape)
Chestnut & adjacent buildings 1964
237 Chestnut, before the fire 37 - 39 S 3rd St, 1963 37 - 39 S 3rd today