Philadelphia's Jewelers Row, located on the 700 block of Sansom Street in Center City, is the oldest diamond district in the United States. Its origins trace back to the late 18th century when the land, owned by founding father Robert Morris, was purchased at a sheriff's auction by developer William Sansom after Morris went bankrupt. Sansom built the nation's first rowhouses on this property, though they later transitioned from residential to commercial due to shifts in the city’s population and growing commercial needs.
By the 19th century, the area began to attract jewelers, enhanced by its proximity to the State House and the Philadelphia Mint, which added a level of safety for the valuable goods handled by the jewelers. According to Duke Lawrence, a Drexel clinical professor, the concentration of jewelers in one area facilitated the creation of a “sophisticated cluster” where businesses could thrive due to synergy, competition, customer convenience, and shared craftsmanship skills - benefits still relevant today.
In 1971, the Jewelers Row Business Association further branded the area by updating storefronts and streetlights to create a unified aesthetic. However, the district faced potential disruption in 2016 when Toll Brothers proposed demolishing part of the Row for a new residential building, leading to significant opposition from the community and a halt during the pandemic.
As of now, plans are underway for a new structure on the vacant lot, controlled by Pearl Properties, which aims to construct a 35-story building. Despite these developments, experts like Lawrence argue that dispersing the jewelers could dilute the area’s identity and diminish the competitive advantage held by the family-run businesses that populate Jewelers Row.