[2] The district was at its heyday in the early 20th century when it was a center for homes, businesses, and cultural institutions of African-Americans, with many of its black residents among the city's most prominent.

[1] Development of the Christian Street Neighborhood began in earnest in approximately 1866 as it became incorporated into the city of Philadelphia.

[3] Many of the row houses built in the 1880s in the Christian Street Historic District have an Italianate architectural style, sometimes with Victorian influences.

This migration to the Christian Street Historic District ended in approximately 1945, as North Philadelphia neighborhoods became more desirable for many middle class African-Americans.

This change resulted in a decline in prestige of the neighborhood, giving rise to subsequent demolition and gentrification efforts.

[3] By the early twentieth century, the Irish-American residents of the Christian Street Historic District began moving to West Philadelphia and to Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

This coincided with the early portion of the Great Migration of African-Americans from the American South to northern cities in the United States such as Philadelphia.

[2] By 1920, the majority of the population of the Christian Street Historic District was African-American, with a significant number of professionals mixed with working-class people.

The professional class people in the district at the time were mostly doctors, lawyers, clergymen, bankers, teachers, architects and construction contractors.

[2] As the demographic changes progressed, many of the Protestant churches in the district (typically Presbyterian) became Baptist or African Methodist Episcopal.

The homes were typically Italianate in style, with cornices extending along the roof lines of the entire row and decorative transoms at the windows and doors.