444 Lofts was constructed in the early 1900’s as the ACME Tea Company and merged with four small Philadelphia grocery stores. It operated chains of drugstores and supermarkets (including Acme Markets) throughout the country, growing to some 1,800 stores by 1925. It served as the firm’s primary headquarters for a period of time. Over the years it was used for a variety of other businesses including a shoe manufacturing company, finalizing its commercial economic use as a large file storage facility. In 2004, Orens Brothers purchased the building and converted it into a quintessential industrial loft style condominium building. Original authentic features such as polished concrete floors, exposed concrete pillars, ceiling purlins, expansive windows and exposed brick walls are integrated with modern finishes.
The 444 Lofts building is located on the southern cusp of Northern Liberties just above Old City. Some call the area SONO (Southern Northern) and others refer to it as the Cohoquinoque District. Willow Street, that runs on the southern end of the building, was once the Cohoquinoque Creek, derived from a Lenni-Lenape word for “the grove of long pine trees.” The stream still runs under Willow Street as a sewer into the Delaware River which is why the street is curvy and does not conform to the city street grid.
Northern Liberties is one of the city’s most exciting neighborhoods, a center of constant activity and development that has a tireless energy from morning into evening.
Old City, where America began, still boasts of charming cobblestone streets and plenty of 18th-century charm — along with an independent streak obvious in everything — from its owner-operated shops to its edgy art scene. People love the neighborhood for its fashionable boutiques, great restaurants, eclectic galleries and theaters and vibrant nightlife. On the First Friday of every month, Old City comes alive as galleries open new exhibits, design showrooms display their new lines, and businesses stay open late. Old City celebrated “30 Years of First Friday” in 2022.
