{"nrhp_refnum":"86003345","name":"West Philadelphia High School","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"4700 Walnut St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":39.954614728000024,"lon":-75.21667366999998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-12-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A former public high school building at 47th and Walnut Streets in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, built in 1911-1912 by the Philadelphia School Board for boys and girls, designed in a Gothicized castle form.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the school is significant for its role in expanding high school education for both boys and girls in Philadelphia's public school system. It is also presented as a fine example of Gothic design by architect Henry deCoursey Richards. The document notes the building reflects the Board's expanded emphasis on school facilities.","narrative":"West Philadelphia High School for Boys and Girls occupies a site at 47th and Walnut Streets in West Philadelphia. The Philadelphia School Board built it in 1911-1912, the only school the Board constructed itself during this period. Designed by school architect Henry deCoursey Richards, the building takes the form of a Gothicized castle. Its plan has two wings, one for girls and one for boys, joined by two separate connecting corridors. Teaching grades 10 through 12, the school was designed with an enrollment capacity of 1,287 pupils and included an auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria and recreational area. The building is considered important for its part in expanding secondary education for both boys and girls in Philadelphia, a priority that followed the opening of several district high schools and annexes in 1910. It is also regarded as a fine example of Richards's Gothic work.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Henry deCoursey Richards (architect)","architectural_style":"Gothicized castle","criteria":[],"status_note":null,"vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:32.708182-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/86003345.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003345/afccb30474-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003345/afccb30474-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"See below","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WTP_A17_youcanlookitup_2.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">See below</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WTP_A17_youcanlookitup_2.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"97001669","name":"West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/west-philadelphia-streetcar-suburb-historic-district-97001669/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71993781","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Philadelphia_High_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7986214"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/west-philadelphia-high-school-86003345/"}