Carl P. Berger collection


Collection V46

1900-circa 1950, undated
(2.3 Linear feet ; 5 boxes, 63 flat files)
© The Historical Society of Pennsylvania1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Summary Information

Repository
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator
Berger, Carl P., 1873-1947.
Title
Carl P. Berger collection
ID
V46
Date
1900-circa 1950, undated
Extent
2.3 Linear feet ; 5 boxes, 63 flat files
Author
Finding aid prepared by Cary Majewicz.
Sponsor
Processing made possible by a generous donation from Carol A. Ingald.
Language
English
Abstract
Carl P. Berger (1873-1947) was a prominent early twentieth century Philadelphia architect who designed numerous local structures, including office buildings, houses, apartment buildings, and churches. This collection of his professional papers includes architectural drawings, published reference works, photographs, correspondence, and other notes.

Preferred Citation note

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Carl P. Berger papers (Collection V46), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Return to Table of Contents »

Biographical/Historical note

Philadelphia native Carl P. Berger was born to Carl P. F. Berger, a theatre and set designer from Breslau, Germany, on June 15, 1873. Berger was educated in Philadelphia, first in the public school system, then at the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art (now the Philadelphia Museum of Art and University of the Arts), where he studied architecture. After a series of apprenticeships, Berger opened his own Philadelphia office in 1899, and his career extended over forty years. Berger had considerable ties to the German community in Philadelphia. He designed the New German Theatre on Girard Street in Philadelphia, as well as the Liederkranz Hall. Berger was also a member of the Moose Lodge and designed a number of the group's Philadelphia buildings. Additionally, he worked throughout the Philadelphia suburbs, including central and southern New Jersey, and designed a number of churches, theatres, public works buildings, and other commercial and residential structures. He died in Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, in 1947.

Return to Table of Contents »

Scope and Contents note

The Carl P. Berger collection spans the first half of the twentieth century and highlights Berger's professional work and life, primarily through his architectural drawings, and secondarily through a few reference publications, photographs, and some business correspondence. Spanning five boxes and sixty-three flat files, the materials have been arranged as found into two groups: the first one includes photographs, prints, correspondence, reference materials, and notes; the second group contains architectural drawings, plans, and blueprints.

Return to Table of Contents »

Administrative Information

Publication Information

 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania , March 2010

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Theorodre Marantz, 1970.

Processing Information note

Some items in the collection show signs of old (non-active) mold, and folders containing such material have been marked.

Return to Table of Contents »

Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

  • Architectural drawings.
  • Blueprints.
  • Elevations.
  • Floorplans.

Geographic Name(s)

  • Philadelphia (Pa.)--Buildings, structures, etc.

Subject(s)

  • Architects--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
  • Dwellings--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
  • Religious architecture--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.

Return to Table of Contents »

Collection Inventory

Papers, books, and photographs (circa 1900-circa 1950, undated) 

Scope and Contents note

Making up most the papers in this group are several published items that, presumably, Berger used as reference materials. These items include Detached Dwellings, Country and Suburban, a compilation of architectural drawings by several architects; two issues of the  Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art, 1907-1908;  The Orders, a portofolio of technical drawings of various structures such as columns and arches; two issues of  Liturgical Arts from 1931 and 1932; and other photograohs of office builings, churches, and houses.

Other items in this group include Berger's business corrspondence that pertains specifically to projects he obtained during the 1940s, a list of abandonded projects, and a folder of small photographs of several of Berger's buildings.

Printed material, correspondence, and small photographs (1900-1946, undated)   0.6 Linear feet

 Box
1-2
Box Folder

Printed material - religious architecture (1900-1928) 

 1 1

The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Arts (1907) 

 1 2

The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Arts (1908) 

 1 3

Detached Dwellings: Country and Suburban (1909) 

 1 4

Small prints and photographs of buildings (circa 1920-1925) 

 1 5

Liturgical Arts (1931, 1932) 

 2 1

Correspondence, legal papers, and other documents (1942-1946, bulk 1942) 

 2 3

"Abandonded list" (undated) 

 2 3

The Orders (American School of Correspondence) (1904)   0.2 Linear feet

 Box
3

Portfolio of loose and mounted maps, prints, drawings, and photographs of buildings (circa 1900-circa 1950)   0.2 Linear feet

 Box
4

Photo album of buildings designed (circa 1910-circa 1930)   0.3 Linear feet

 Box
5

Return to Table of Contents »

Architectural drawings (1901-1947)   0.9 Linear feet

Scope and Contents note

This group consists solely of Berger's architectural plans for both new buildings and improvements on existing buildings. While the types and number of plans in each folder vary, there are an assortment of blueprints, site and floorplans written on both tracing and linen papers, and scattered notes. Originally, these plans were rolled; now flattened, most of the papers retain old creases and some are particularly fragile or show signs of mold. (While the mold is old, such folders are marked nonetheless.) The folders were numbered in the order found and are not in alphabetical or chronological order.

 Oversize
1-63
Oversize

Dwellings in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, including "Shadelands" (1936-1938) 

 1

Swimming pool and bath house, 8th and Wallace, Philadelphia (1925) 

 2

Ville Malverne and apartments at 2912-34 South 13th Street, Philadelphia (1935) 

 3

St. Michael and Zion German Lutheran Church, Franklin and Vine, Philadelphia (1930) 

 4

Sesquicentennial auditorium seating (1926) 

 5

Proposed Presbyterian church at Glenolden, Pennsylvania (1901) 

 6

First Presbyterian Church - alterations and additions, Glenolden, Pennsylvania (1930) 

 7

Woodbine Apartments, Overbrook, Philadelphia (1931) 

 8

Dwellings for Dr. Julien Lewis, Wilmington, Delaware (1937) 

 9

Jonathan Prichard Memorial Evangelical Lutheran, 63rd and Elmwood, Philadelphia (1908) 

 10

Zirnkilton vault and monument work, Westminster Cemetery, Montgomery County (1920) 

 11

Dwellings, Ocean City, New Jersey (1924-1926) 

 12

Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran, Maple Shade, New Jersey (1932) 

 13

Four dwellings (E. S. Thompson, builder), Oakmont, Delaware County (1936) 

 14

Joseph Gaidas monument and vault, Westminster Cemetery, Montgomery County (1918) 

 15

Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey (1933) 

 16

Eight dwellings with garages (F. C. Barton, builder) (1936) 

 17

Francis Barton (Frank Jackson) dwelling, Cynwyd, Montgomery County (1938) 

 18

Delaware Gardens, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania (1934) 

 19

Elks Home Association of Pottstown (1926) 

 20

Carl F. Rumpp House, Germantown, Philadelphia (1922) 

 21

G. A. Schwarz store, 1006 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia (1901, 1903) 

 22

All Saint Lutheran Church, Germantown, Phiadelphia (1906) 

 23

New Federal Market, Philadelphia (1901) 

 24

Philadelphia Lodge, no. 54, Loyal Order of Moose (1914, 1929) 

 25-26

Lykens Lodge, no. 1176, Loyal Order of Moose (1922) 

 27

Carl P. Berger’s Home, Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (1905) 

 28

John M. Snyder House, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania (1905-1927) 

 29

N. C. Rumpp cottages and house, Sea Isle City, New Jersey (1915) 

 30

Commercial Solvents Corporation, Terre Haute, Indiana (1951) 

 31

Pottstown Lodge, no. 369, Loyal Order of Moose (1925-1926) 

 32

Commercial Museums, 34th and Spruce, Philadelphia (undated) 

 33

Ralph Donges House, Haddonfield, New Jersey (1924) 

 34

C. F. Rumpp and Sons, 5th and Cherry, Philadelphia (1924) 

 35

Light Manufacturing Company, Camden, New Jersey (1919) 

 36

Longport Gardens, apartments and dwellings, Longport, New Jersey (1935) 

 37

Ridge Ave/Domino Lane development for Albert H. Lardner (1937) 

 38

St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania (1927) 

 39

Philadelphia Cottage, Philadelphia Lodge, no. 54, Loyal Order of Moose (1932) 

 40

Altenheim Orphanage, Germantown, Philadelphia (undated) 

 41

Cynwyd Gardens apartments (1938) 

 42

Artman Home for Lutherans, Ambler, Pennsylvania (1931) 

 43

Miscellaneous houses and buildings, Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (1938, undated) 

 44

Elm Terrace Hospital, Lansdale, Pennsylvania (1936) 

 45

Roosevelt Gardens, Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia (1935) 

 46

Pottstown Housing Project - various buildings (1942) 

 47

Armory for 28th Tank Company, Department of Military Affairs, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (1936) 

 48

German Society of Philadelphia (1902) 

 49

Riverside Brewing Company, Burlington County, New Jersey (1933) 

 50

German Seamen’s Home, Philadelphia (1922, 1938) 

 51

Zirnkilton House, 1203 Locust, Philadelphia (1928) 

 52

George Bachmann House, Camden, New Jersey (1930) 

 53

Generator House, Hartford Gas Company, Hartford, Connecticut; Plant extensions, Atlantic City Gas Company, Atlantic City, New Jersey (1946) 

 54

Bank and office building, 1512 Walnut, Philadelphia (1928-1930) 

 55

Generator Plant, Brooklyn Union Gas Company, Brooklyn, New York (1946-1947) 

 56

Girard Trust Company as agents for the Heepe Estate, 2049-2313 Walnut, Philadelphia (1933) 

 57

Plan of Properties for Franz Zirnkilton (1921) 

 58

New German Theatre, Franklin and Girard, Philadelphia (1905) 

 59

German Embassy, Washington, D. C. (1929) 

 60

Lardner Street dwellings, 35th ward, Philadelphia (1942) 

 61

Select topographical maps of areas in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (circa 1929, circa 1936, 1941, 1943, 1945) 

 62

Carl O. Berger House, Coventryville, Pennsylvania (1947) 

 63

Return to Table of Contents »