32nd St. and Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia Armory

33rd Street Armory
Drexel Armory,
Philadelphia Armory

Philadelphia Armory drill hall, May 2010
Full name 32nd St. and Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia Armory
Address 3205 Lancaster Ave, Philadelphia PA 19104
Location 32nd St. and Lancaster Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Public transit

34th and Market (SEPTA)

32nd St. and Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia Armory
Coordinates 39°57′25″N 75°11′25″W / 39.95694°N 75.19028°W / 39.95694; -75.19028Coordinates: 39°57′25″N 75°11′25″W / 39.95694°N 75.19028°W / 39.95694; -75.19028
Built 1916 (1916)
Built by Fidelity Construction Co.
Architect Johnson, Philip H.
Architectural style Classical Revival
MPS Pennsylvania National Guard Armories MPS
NRHP Reference # 91001703[1]
Added to NRHP November 14, 1991
Operator Drexel University
Type Armory, Stadium
Genre(s) concerts, sporting events, conventions
Seating type Standing, Bleachers
Capacity 3,000 (concerts)
Field shape Rectangular
Acreage 1.5 acres (0.61 ha)
Surface Plexicushion

32nd St. and Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia Armory, also known as the Drexel Armory, is a historic National Guard armory and multipurpose venue located in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Main entrances to the Armory are located at both 33rd and Cuthbert Street, and along Lancaster Walk. It was built in 1916, and is a trapezoidal shaped building in the Classical Revival style. It is a three-story, 21,346 square foot, brick building with stone entabulature and parapet. It houses administrative offices, a gymnasium, and drill hall.[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[1]

In 2008, Drexel University acquired the armory with plans to renovate it into a convocation and basketball arena for the use of Drexel athletics.[3] Eventually, the university abandoned the plans to convert the armory into its primary arena, and instead focused on renovating the current arena, the Daskalakis Athletic Center. However, smaller scale renovations were completed at the armory and it is currently used for many events such as concerts, food events, art gatherings, and conventions.

Concerts

Drexel Homecoming Dance Concert

The annual homecoming dance concert was held at the armory during the last week of January each year from 2009 to 2014. Following the 2014 concert, the event was replaced by the Drexel Fall Fest. Headlining performances included:

Drexel Spring Jam

The annual Spring Jam concert, which is organized by the Drexel CAB, is generally held during the Spring semester. The Spring Jam was performed at the Drexel Armory until it was relocated to Lot F, an open parking area on Drexel's campus between Main Building and 31st Street, beginning in 2011. The headlining acts of the Spring Jam concerts performed at the armory included:

Other Concerts

Sports

Buckley Courts

The Buckley Courts are three plexicushion multipurpose courts within the armory. They are named after Robert Buckley, an alumnus of the Drexel College of Engineering and a member of the Drexel Athletics Hall of Fame as a three-sport athlete. The courts serve as a practice site for club and varsity sports teams during the winter. They are also available to students for recreational sports including tennis, basketball, volleyball, badminton, indoor soccer, street hockey and table tennis.[8]

Basketball

The armory was the home arena for the Drexel Dragons basketball teams from 1969 to 1975.

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Kristine Wilson, Joseph Burke, III, and William Sisson (August 1990). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: 32nd St. and Lancaster Ave. Philadelphia Armory" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  3. "Drexel and National Guard to Celebrate 50-Year Agreement to Use Historic Philadelphia Armory". Drexel University. 14 April 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  4. "Spring Jam recruits NERD" (PDF). Drexel CAB. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  5. "33rd Street Armory Philadelphia Concert Setlists". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  6. Rea, Steven (8 December 1994). "Armory Rap Concert Gets Role In Film". Philly.com. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  7. "Nirvana Setlist at The Armory, Philadelphia, PA, USA". setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  8. "Buckley Courts at the Armory". Drexel University. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
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