{"nrhp_refnum":"83004191","name":"Foos, Charles S., Elementary School","other_names":["Douglass and Weiser School"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Douglass and Weiser Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Reading","county":"Berks County","state":"PA","lat":40.34777869200008,"lon":-75.93809475399996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-11-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A former public elementary school building in the northwest section of Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, known as the Charles S. Foos Elementary School (originally the Douglass and Weiser School). It was constructed in 1903 in the Victorian Romanesque style and substantially remodeled in 1912 in the Classical Revival style.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the school is significant for its architectural style and integrity and for its educational prominence in the Reading school system. It is described as the only school in the Classical Revival style in Reading and one of only seven surviving of more than 50 school buildings in the city in 1923. It is also cited as the most modern grade school in the city in a 1923 state study, and for its neighborhood role, including a branch library from 1918 to 1938.","narrative":"Built in 1903 in Reading's northwest neighborhood as the Douglass and Weiser School, this two-story brick building was designed by Head and constructed by James Matz with eight classrooms and a Victorian Romanesque facade. In 1912 architect Edward Scholl extended it along the full block and gave it a Classical Revival facade with a decorative cornice, terra cotta and cast stone details, and a central half-hexagon entrance. A 1921 addition enlarged the western side. The building was regarded as the most modern grade school in the city in a 1923 state study, with a gymnasium, science lab, practical arts shops, a library, and an auditorium. It housed a branch of the Reading Public Library from 1918 to 1938 and was open to neighborhood groups such as the Girl Scouts. Renamed for Superintendent Charles Foos in 1937, it closed in 1979 and has since been vacant.","period_of_significance":"1903-1921","architect_builder":"Head (designer, 1903); James Matz (builder, 1903); Edward Scholl (architect, 1912)","architectural_style":"Victorian Romanesque; Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Vacant since its closure in 1979; exterior in fair condition and interior in poor condition due to water damage, vandalism, and a recent fire.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:33.516211-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/83004191.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83004191/541e63005d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83004191/541e63005d-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foos_School_Reading.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foos_School_Reading.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"04001227","name":"Queen Anne Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/queen-anne-historic-district-04001227/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997934","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_S._Foos_Elementary_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15209152"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/berks-county/foos-charles-s-elementary-school-83004191/"}