Lansdowne was once a vacation resort for residents of Philadelphia. People traveled by rail and horse to relax in the borough’s Victorian homes. It is home to numerous arts organizations, including the
Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra,
Celebration Theater, the
Lansdowne Folk Club, and the
Lansdowne Arts Festival.
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| Victorian homes in the Albertson Historic District |
The borough has several historic buildings, including a movie theater and clubhouse, and two areas that are on the National Register of Historic Places. They are the
Lansdowne Theater (in renovation), Twentieth Century Club of Lansdowne,
Henry Albertson Subdivision Historic District, and Lansdowne Park
Historic District. The district includes 70 contributing buildings in a
residential area of Lansdowne. The subdivision consists of single and
double houses, built between 1884 and about 1940, in a variety of
popular architectural styles. It includes notable examples of the
Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and Queen Anne styles.
After the Borough acquired the building in 1979, the Club became Lansdowne’s community center. It now hosts events year-round, including a concert series by the Lansdowne Folk Club and the annual Lansdowne Arts Festival in September. It can also be rented for wedding receptions, birthday and anniversary parties and other private events.
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| Twentieth Century Club |
The Twentieth Century Club of Lansdowne was organized in 1897 by a small group of women whose objective was to create an organized center of thought and action among women, for the protection of their interests and for the promotion of science, literature and art. Their motto was “Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” The building designed by the prominent Philadelphia architectural firm of Heacock and Hokanson and constructed in 1911 by George Grover of Morton, was financed by the members of the club and maintained through dues and rentals.
For more information on the Lansdowne Theatre, visit
lansdownetheater.org
For more information on events at the Twentieth Century Club, visit
twentiethcenturyclub.com
