{"nrhp_refnum":"88000448","name":"Grays Road Recreation Center","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2501 Christian St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":39.942281552000054,"lon":-75.18462012099997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-04-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation","Education","Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two and one-half story Colonial Revival recreation center built in 1926-1927 to the design of John T. Windrim, located at the northeast corner of Christian and Stillman Streets in Philadelphia. It was rehabilitated for residential use into fourteen apartments.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant for its role in the Smith Trust's Progressive era recreation programs for children and the Philadelphia Playground Movement. Its interiors, including a Colonial Revival auditorium and gymnasium with Doric columns, are presented as a notable example of institutional design with residential character.","narrative":"Built in 1926-1927 to the design of John T. Windrim, the Grays Road Recreation Center is a two and one-half story brick building in the Colonial Revival style at the corner of Christian and Stillman Streets in Philadelphia. Its red brick walls are laid in Flemish bond, and its gabled roof carries seven pedimented dormers on each long elevation. The Christian Street entrance is an arched opening with a stone surround and keystone. Inside, an entrance hall with painted paneled wainscoting and a marble-surrounded fireplace led to a gymnasium with Doric columns and a two-story auditorium on the second floor. The building was one of the facilities funded by the Richard Smith Trust, which was established under Smith's 1894 will to provide recreation for underprivileged children. It reflects the Progressive era belief that play and supervised programs could serve as tools for education and social reform in crowded neighborhoods. The building was converted into fourteen apartments during its recent rehabilitation.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"John T. Windrim (architect)","architectural_style":"Colonial Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Rehabilitated for residential use with conversion into fourteen apartment units","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:37.094402-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/88000448.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000448/e0434c47ae-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000448/e0434c47ae-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grays_Rec_Center.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grays_Rec_Center.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997292","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grays_Road_Recreation_Center","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5598375"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/grays-road-recreation-center-88000448/"}