The intersection of E. Hagert Street and Frankford Avenue possesses a ton of history, but unlike a number of others in the River Wards, we can still see much of that history today. At one corner is the former Weisbrod & Hess Brewery, part of which is currently home to the Philadelphia Brewing Company. Near the opposite corner is a building originally constructed in the 1800s as the Frankford Avenue Baptist Church, which was in active use with another congregation until quite recently. You might notice, there's now a hole in the ground at 2431 Frankford Ave., immediately next door to the former church.
Surprisingly, this parcel has sat vacant for many years, ostensibly because it was used as a surface parking lot for the church next door. Looking at some historical maps, there was a market here back in the late 1800s, and a meeting hall sometime after the turn of the century. We've got no idea what the building looked like but we do know it was gone by the 1940s. Now, you can see, the lot is on the way out, with new development poised to replace it. On the fence surrounding the property, we see a rendering of the project, which will entail sixteen apartments and four parking spots. As the parcel is zoned for multi-family use, this is a by-right project. We're reminded of the residential project just down the street, which has a similar circumstance.
The developers working on the 16-unit project at 2431 Frankford Ave. also own the former church and recently listed it for rent for $2,000/month. The listing describes the space as perfect for a creative reuse, perhaps co-working or an artist's studio space. We wonder whether they originally intended to demolish the old building and construct additional housing but changed their plan when the building was nominated as historic. Perhaps someone in the neighborhood has a little more info on that context, because we admit that we're only speculating here.