at Graeme Park
Herbert Levy was an esteemed architect, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a Chevalier de Légion d’Honneur and a great friend and supporter of Horsham History and the restoration and preservation of the Penrose Strawbridge House and the Keith House. He is seen here at Graeme Park with his Legion of Honor medal.
Herb was born Decenber 18, 1924 to Abe abd Jeanette Levy and was raised in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia.
He met his wife Flossie when he dropped a tray a Boston Creame Pies on her at a summer camp where he was a waiter and she was a Counselor in Training, They married after WWII on June 6, 1948. They had three children together.
Prior to the US entering WWII he completed a year at the University of Pennsylvania, then served in the US Army from 1943-45 as an Engineer specializing in topography, architecture and demolition. After the war he completed college and joined his father at Abraham Levy Architects.
Mr Levy was integral in the design of many hospitals, schools and other civic buildings, including: Philadelphia International Airport, Einstein Hospital, Moss Rehabilitation Center, The Locust Club, Robin Hood Dell, WFIL TV Studio, Eagleville Hospital and numerous Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Centers.
In 1975, he returned to the University of Pennsylvania to pursue a Masters Degree in Material Culture in American Civilization. He then joined the Philadelphia firm GBQC Architects, where he worked for another 16 years on projects such as the Biomedical Research Building at Hershey Medical Center, Veterans Administration Hospital (Lyons, PA), the Navy Outpatient Facilities at the Philadelphia VA Hospital, and Alabama Power & Light in Birmingham.
In addition to his design work, Herb served as an Architectural Advisor to the Philadelphia Historical Commission; President of the Pennsylvania Society of Architects; the National Director of the American Institute of Architects (AIA); a member of the Joint AIA/White House Advisory Group; a Lifetime Regent of the American Architectural Foundation; on the Preservation Board of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission; and Vice Chair of AIA HABS/HAER.
In his eighties, following his architecture career, Herb served for a decade as an Historic Preservation Disaster Assistance specialist for the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA, and volunteered on various township and regional growth and preservation committees, including the National Historic Landmark – Graeme Park, as a Board Member of Eagleville Hospital and Board Member and Chairman of the Lower Gwynedd Township Planning Commission.
Herb was honored for his contributions to the Architectural profession as well as historical preservation work, with the John Harbeson Award for his service to the Profession of Architecture from the Philadelphia AIA, a Public Service Achievement Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and election as a Fellow by the American Institute of Architects.
In 2008, the government of France awarded Herb with a ‘Chevalier’ of the French Legion of Honor for his military service. It was with Floss’s urging in 2009 that he finally opened up about his service and penned his memoires for his children. In 2014, he was a special guest of the French government for the 75th Anniversary of D-day, bringing him back to the beaches of Normandy for the first time since June 1945.
Herb worked closely with our group and particularly with Peter and Margaret Choate on the plans for restoration of the Penrose Strawbridge House and later as a advisor on managing our Collections.
We are sad to report that Herb passed away November 26, 2021 at the age of 96