Drive anywhere in Pennsylvania and you’ll likely come across Rust-belt towns, their stunning architectural heritage in existential danger. This sounds extreme, except that many of their beautiful structures are already demolished. 

One such town is Philipsburg. Here, a small team led by Eric Kelmenson, owner of Reframe, a non-profit focused on historic preservation and affordable housing, is working to save the town’s historic downtown buildings along Front Street.

This ongoing project covers the restoration of four downtown buildings on North Front Street, Philipsburg since 2021: the Heilig-Meyers, the Hoffer, the Taylor, and the PCR.