{"nrhp_refnum":"88002252","name":"Cassidy, Lewis C., School","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"6523--6543 Lansdowne Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Philadelphia","county":"Philadelphia","state":"PA","lat":39.97508928700006,"lon":-75.25046623599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-11-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story brick public elementary school at 6523-6543 Lansdowne Avenue, at 21st and Winter Streets in Philadelphia, built 1922-1924 for the School District of Philadelphia.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant as one of eight elementary schools built from the same School Board Type Number 137 plans in the early 1920s building program. It reflects the standards set by H. deCourcy Richards while he was Chief Designer between 1906 and 1918. It is nominated as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District despite recent window replacement.","narrative":"Built between 1922 and 1924 on Lansdowne Avenue in Philadelphia, this three-story brick school sits on a raised brick basement and was designed by Irwin T. Catharine for the School District of Philadelphia. The building is one of eight elementary schools erected from the same School Board Type Number 137 plans during an ambitious early-1920s building program that also produced junior high schools and numerous additions. Its nine-bay front has stone arched surrounds on the first level, a stone cornice, and a brick parapet carrying the school's name carved in stone. Projecting one-story entrance pavilions with double pilasters and arched openings sit on both side elevations. The design follows standards established by H. deCourcy Richards, who served as the School Board's Chief Designer from 1906 to 1918. The building is included for its architecture as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic group, although its windows have been replaced.","period_of_significance":"1922-1924","architect_builder":"Irwin T. Catharine (architect); Sinclair & Grigg (builder)","architectural_style":"Colonial Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Windows were replaced during the School Board's system-wide conversion.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:36.173538-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/88002252.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88002252/fa47a70c0c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88002252/fa47a70c0c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cassidy_School_Philly.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cassidy_School_Philly.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71993545","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_C._Cassidy_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6536372"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/cassidy-lewis-c-school-88002252/"}