About the ArtHaus

WELCOME TO THE RESTORATION.

Exterior of 3-story building
BUILDING HISTORY
  • Originally built in approximately 1860.
  • 1915: Opened as a Pharmacy
  • 1979: William & Ena Swain purchased the property & opened the Swain Accounting & Print Shop

A FAMILY OF SUBSTANCE:

  • The Swains were well-known staples in the Germantown business community.
  • Mr. Swain was a prominent printer and the first African American to earn the prestigious “Union Bug” badge from the Philadelphia Printers Union.
  • Mrs. Swain, an author, activist & community historian, was the first African-American bookkeeper and accountant for the W.C. Schmidt & Sons Inc. brewery in Philadelphia.

Learn More about the Swains…

STEEPED IN COMMUNITY HISTORY

Built in the early twentieth century, this Germantown landmark still boasts handcrafted glass-fronted cabinetry from its early years as a pharmacy. The building is best known as the site of William and Ena Swain’s accounting business and printshop and is affectionately known as “The Swain Building”.

The Swains were prominent African American business leaders and historians  in their day, and inspired by their entrepreneurial drive, we are restoring and reinvigorating The Swain Building as the Germantown ArtHaus.

Interior of First floor post clean out
3rd floor Prior to renovation

THE ARTS ARE ESSENTIAL.

Exposure to and participation in the arts are of crucial importance to all people. The arts teach essential skills, including creative thinking, perseverance, teamwork, and self-discipline, that have the power to enhance and change lives for the better.

Post-restoration the ArtHaus will inspire and empower the individual through the arts thereby strengthening the community. Fully committed to fostering creativity and entrepreneurship, we aim to create a vibrant, uplifting, and safe space for the community and artists to interact and create.

Please help make our dreams a reality.