Joe Frazier's gym in Philly gets historic status

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Philadelphia • The Philadelphia gym where heavyweight champ Joe Frazier lived and trained has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Preservation officials say they were notified Tuesday of the designation by the National Park Service. They say it will help protect the building and commemorate Frazier's legacy.

Frazier converted the three-story structure in north Philadelphia into a gym in 1968. He lived upstairs and trained downstairs.

For decades after his retirement, the space served as a neighborhood anchor. But Frazier sold the building in 2008, and it's now partially occupied by a furniture store. The gym sign is still visible.

Last year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the gym on its list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

Frazier died of liver cancer in 2011.