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Brick pointing in Society Hill

Some of the oldest brick in the country, inside a local historic district. Pointing here almost always means Historical Commission review.

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The houses

Society Hill was settled in the early 1680s and is one of Philadelphia’s oldest residential neighborhoods. It has one of the largest concentrations of original 18th- and early 19th-century buildings in the United States, with two- to four-story brick rowhouses in Federal and Georgian styles.

What to know about pointing here

Society Hill is a Philadelphia Register historic district, so pointing, masonry repair and cleaning need Historical Commission review. Approvals commonly require a pointing sample and a cut-out sample in the field. With brick this old, NPS’s advice matters most: soft, lime-rich mortar, joints raked out by hand, and a matched color and joint profile.

ZIP codes: 19106, 19147. We refer requests from anywhere in Philadelphia to independent contractors; we do not have offices or crews in any neighborhood.

Nearby

Queen Village · Spring Garden · Fairmount

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Society Hill, Philadelphia
  2. Philadelphia Historical Commission: Society Hill Historic District (PDF)
  3. Philadelphia Historical Commission: Get approval for work to a historic property
  4. Philadelphia Historical Commission: Approval documentation / conditions form (PDF)
  5. National Park Service, Preservation Brief 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings (PDF)

Checked October 30, 2026. Rules, programs and prices change, so confirm with the source. Cost figures are published ranges, not quotes.

Want a mason to look at it?

Tell us the address ZIP, which wall and what you’re seeing. We pass it to one independent Philadelphia contractor who does masonry work, and they contact you to set up a look and a written quote.

Philly Brick Pointing is a free referral service, not a masonry contractor. We pass your request to an independent Philadelphia contractor, who quotes and does the work. We are not affiliated with the City of Philadelphia or the Historical Commission. We may be paid by the contractors we refer. Disclosure.

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Philly Brick Pointing is a free referral service, not a masonry contractor. We pass your request to an independent Philadelphia contractor, who quotes and does the work.

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