North Scranton Junior High School
Why it's listed
Built in 1922-24 on a hilltop above the Lackawanna River in Scranton, Pennsylvania, this three-story brick and stone building was designed by local architect Edson Gilbert in the Late Gothic Revival style. Its main east facade is centered on a four-story clock tower with a tall Gothic entrance arch, corner turrets and carved stone tracery. The school opened on September 2, 1924, for 1,200 students, and its interior included a 1,206-seat auditorium, two gymnasiums, a five-room domestic science apartment and more than forty classrooms. It is significant as the first junior high school built in the Scranton district, reflecting the state's 1921 move to add an intermediate step between grammar and high school. The building was closed in 1987 because of structural and stabilization problems. Its exterior and plan are largely original, which the nomination describes as rare among the city's schools of its era.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant under Criterion A for its association with the development of public schooling in Scranton, as the first building in the district built specifically as a junior high. It is significant under Criterion C as an unaltered representative example of an early twentieth century school building and as an excellent example of the Late Gothic Revival style in the Scranton region.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99001197, listed September 24, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1539 N. Main Ave., Scranton |
|---|---|
| County | Lackawanna County |
| Listed | September 24, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001197 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1949 |
| Architect / builder | Gilbert, Edson (architect); Sinclair & Grigg (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Decommissioned and vacated in 1987; the interior has been vandalized and stripped of stained glass, doors and cabinets, while the exterior is described as structurally sound. |
| Acreage | 4.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.42844, -75.64709 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99001197.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7056600
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.