New Market and Head House

Established on Lombard Street in 1745 by mayor Edward Shippen and Joseph Wharton, a wealthy merchant,^[2] and named "New Market" to distinguish it from the established market on High (now Market) Street, the market was used well into the 19th century.

It originally consisted of sixteen stalls^[2] created by two rows of brick pillars supporting a gable roof and arched ceiling over an open market area, known as the Shambles.

By 1797, it had extended to South Street, where it ended in a firehouse, which was later demolished, and eventually extended north to Pine Street as well.^[2]

In 1804, Joseph Wetherill, a wealthy merchant and master builder, encouraged the City of Philadelphia to erect the Head House at the north end of New Market (Second Street), for which he loaned the city $1,000.^[3]

The Head House, a Georgian-style brick firehouse with Federal-style ornamentation, was built at the north end of the market; the building's cupola once housed a firebell.^[2]

The firehouse is the oldest extant in the United States, and is now used as a community center.

The market reached its greatest extent, all the way to South Street, by 1811. The market section between Pine and Lombard underwent a major restoration in 1923, which replaced the roof and a number of brick piers.^[4] The Head House has also undergone restoration.

The site was declared a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966.^[5] It is a contributing property of the Head House Square National Historic District. It was restored in 1994 by the Head House Conservancy, a non-profit organization.

In 1975, a modern steel-and-glass retail and restaurant complex called NewMarket opened east of the historic market between Pine and Lombard Streets. The center struggled to attract customers and was essentially vacant by 1988. An early 1990s revival as a cabaret entertainment district was short-lived. The complex was demolished in 2002 and its site was subsequently redeveloped.

The area around the building, known as Head House Square (or Headhouse Square), features cobblestone streets and a park, as well as one of the oldest continuously run farmer's markets in the nation.^[6]

The farmer's market is open on Sundays from the first week in May through the week before Christmas, from 10 am to 2 pm, selling locally grown produce and other farm products.

The area, which comprises twenty-two contributing properties over 9.9 acres (40,000 m²), was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1972.

The houses surrounding the square are from the late 18th to early 19th centuries, and the area was extensively restored in the 1950s and 1960s.

The houses have always been used both as residences and as commercial buildings. Most are typical middle class examples of their time, though the John Ross House at 401 S. 2nd was one of the largest townhouses of its day. It was visited by George Washington.^[6]

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• List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia