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6 The Lenape Building
1 South Main Street and 1 East State Street This unique building was designed by Addison Hutton, who was known as the "Quaker Architect of Bryn Mawr", and Thomas Cernea, two very influential architects from Philadelphia. It was built by the Doylestown Improvement Agency, headed by Henry T. Darlington, in 1874 after many Doylestownians expressed the need for a meeting place, consolidated store area, and indoor market. Before its construction the Borough Council held an outdoor farmers market in this approximate vicinity. Everyday wagons full of goods would arrive at 4:00 AM waiting for he 6:00 AM opening no matter what the weather. Upon completion, the building housed five stores, offices, a drug store, an auditorium, a meeting room, and an indoor market. The market was not as successful as was first anticipated, so it was renovated for other enterprises. It is the largest example of commercial architecture found in the borough. The building displays a combination of the Romanesque Revival and Classic Greek Revival. The Romanesque Revival can be found in the arch shape of the tall windows which are accented by the belt courses running horizontally along the exterior. The classic Greek Revival can be seen in the roof pediments and the suggestion of supporting columns in the pilasters. Over 500,000 bricks were used to construct this enormous building which cost $50,000. Go to the Table of Contents of the Tour
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