Watch ONLINE via ZOOM from the safety and comfort of your home. 

A link with instructions will be provided two hours prior to this virtual lecture. 

Going on Stilts: The Tall Office Building in 19th Century Philadelphia

presented by Dr. Paula Spilner

This talk traces the development of the "skyscraper" in Philadelphia in the second half of the 19th century. Particular attention is paid to the technological innovations that made tall buildings possible, such as metal framing and curtain wall construction. The case of the Betz Building, hailed at the time of its construction in the 1890's as Philadelphia's first skyscraper, is examined in detail.

Paula Spilner earned a Ph.D. from the Department of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University. Her dissertation examined urban development in late medieval Florence. Her article on the Palazzo Vecchio documented a previously unknown addition to the building. Dr. Spilner has taught art and architectural history at a number of local institutions, most recently at Drexel University. In addition to teaching, Dr. Spilner served as director of the architectural walking tour program for Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks and the Preservation Alliance. Recently, her research has focused on urban development in near North Philadelphia in the early 19th c. Philadelphia. Her current project explores the creation of a new residential neighborhood known in the 19th c. as Green Hill.

$15 | General Admission

$12 | Alliance Member 

Free | Students*

If you have been affected by the pandemic and would like to attend this virtual lecture but cannot afford to do so, please email Vinni Cheng on vcheng@preservationalliance.com for complimentary access.

*Email photo of valid student ID to Vinni Cheng to register as a student.

View speaker schedule at https://www.preservationalliance.com/building_philadelphia_2022/