This week, it seems like we're covering an unsual number of adaptive reuse projects. Seeing churches converted to apartments could be a slowly growing trend, but converting old apartments into new apartments is an age-old effort that's sure to continue interminably into the future. At 1227 S. 2nd St., new owners are joining the long bandwagon.
The developers purchased the property earlier this year. Its current layout has two apartments on the second floor and another unit on the third floor. When the renovation is done, there will be three units, but the layout seems likely to change. It's clear from looking at the building that the first floor once had a commercial use. Wonder what it was? Check this out:
Oh cool, it was a Lodge of some kind. Perhaps for fisherman of the Adriatic? And what does CFU mean? Hint, it's not colony forming unit, as Google suggests. Looking a little more carefully at the picture of the sea carved into the stone, you can make out the words 'Jadransko More,' which means Adriatic Sea in Croatian. Lightbulb! CFU is Croatian Fraternal Union.
We admit, we didn't know about a time when there was a Croatian population in this part of Philadelphia, but the fact that there was a lodge here would seem to suggest it's so. Unfortunately for our Croatian readers searching for a Lodge, no more exist in Philadelphia. Western PA, though, has a bunch.
This just goes to show you that even the smallest project in Philadelphia can have some interesting history associated with it. It's kind of cool living in an old city, right?