Introduction
Keystones: Oral Histories of Philadelphia’s Built Environment is an active digital collection at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia that documents the careers of those who have played a leading role in shaping Greater Philadelphia’s built environment. Through in-depth life interviews with architects, planners, engineers, landscape architects, preservationists, and others, the collection documents the ideas, relationships, and experiences behind many of the region’s most significant buildings and places. The collection intends to honor the contributions of these interview subjects while enlivening the study of the built environment for researchers, students, and the general public.
Acknowledgements
This project was funded in part by a Historical & Archival Records Care grant from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.
Featured Interview
Hyman Myers
Hyman “Hy” Myers (1941-2022) was a Philadelphia-based architect, preservationist, and educator whose four-decade career made him one of the region’s leading advocates for historic architecture. A principal at VITETTA Architects & Engineers and a longtime lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, he specialized in the restoration and adaptive reuse of significant buildings, contributing to more than 350 projects nationwide, including major Philadelphia landmarks such as City Hall, the Academy of Music, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. A passionate expert on Victorian architecture--especially the work of Frank Furness--Myers was known for his commitment to preserving historic fabric while returning buildings to active use, and he played a key role in advancing preservation practice through teaching, public advocacy, and professional leadership.
Listen to the interview or read the transcript