Know Your Neighborhood:  The Schmidt Building, 315 Arch St 

The historical records for the city of Philadelphia suggest there was always some sort of lodging at 315 Arch Street, beginning with the St Elmo Hotel in the 19th century.  In 1915, Charles E .Schmidt commissioned architects Sauer & Hahn to build a new building on the site. Mr. Schmidt wanted an apartment building with commercial space at the street level.  Schmidt was the owner of a leather business which had been founded by his father in 1856.  Sauer & Hahn, in business from 1902 to 1915, received numerous commissions in Old City and throughout Philadelphia. 

Noted for its “imposing exterior” in a 1916 promotional brochure, the Schmidt Building was planned as a fitting neighbor to the Friends Meeting House, which sits directly across the street. The entire storefront is clad with terra cotta and ornamented with bracketed door surrounds and other details.  The 7-story Georgian Revival structure was built to house Schmidt's wholesale & manufacturing enterprises as well as living space.  Numerous other businesses were located at 315 Arch over the years including Lippincott Shoe Supply, Beaumont Manufacturing Company, Gitlin-Trichon Co. & many others.

That building is what we see today at 315 Arch Street. Rehabbed in the mid 2000s, this building went condo in 2006.  There's still commercial space at street level.

315 Arch was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in December, 1978.

                                                 From 1915 publication, "Shoe & Leather Facts"

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