On the 700 block of Carpenter St., in the middle of the block on the north side of the street, sits 727 Carpenter St., a building we’ve wondered about for years. At four stories tall, it looms over the two and three-story homes that fill the rest of the block. The front of the building features a tenement-style fire escape, an uncommon site in this neighborhood and most others in Philadelphia. Many of the windows are boarded up, but the first floor plywood placeholders are fancifully painted with curtains and flowers. And perhaps most curiously, a historical marker sits right outside, paying tribute to Frank Gasparro, the man who designed the back of the penny.

Just odd

Remembering Frank Gasparro, who apparently lived here

The buildings on either side are in rough shape. 723-25 Carpenter St. has a plant out front that appears to be in the process of consuming the entire building. At 729 Carpenter St., it looks like the roof is ready to fall in.

723-25 Carpenter St.

729 Carpenter St.

According to public record, two people, Pietro and Nunzia Lopriore, own 729 Carpenter St. and Nunzia probably also owns 727 Carpenter St. and two other vacant lots at the end of the block. All of the properties were acquired in the 30’s or 40’s, and taxes were last paid on all of them in 2009.

So… does anyone know the scoop on 727 Carpenter St.? Does anyone remember when it had windows? Does anyone live there? Does anyone know anyone in the Lopriore family? Does anyone want to wager on when the place next door will be completely devoured by that plant?

Ah, things to think about on a Monday morning…