Abington Township High School
Also known as: Huntingdon Junior High School
Why it's listed
Built in stages from 1888 to 1941 on a five-acre campus in Abington village, this group of six school buildings served the township's public education for decades. Its oldest section, a sandstone building with a Romanesque-inflected tower, opened in 1888 as a graded school that offered two years of high school, among the earliest in Pennsylvania. Building B, a grey stone structure begun in 1908 by Heacock & Hokinson, with wings added in 1918 and 1923, long served as the township's only high school. Building C, a domestic arts cottage completed in 1932 with a Pennsylvania farmhouse facade, reflects the school's early practical training. Abington adopted graded courses, business training, laboratory sciences and domestic science ahead of state requirements. The campus is regarded as a rare example of school campus planning in the state. Later buildings from 1939 to 1941, including a gymnasium with Art Deco details by MacKenzie & Blew, are counted as additions outside the main period.
Significance in brief: The complex is argued to illustrate changes in school architecture and in Pennsylvania public education over a century. Its buildings range from Queen Anne and Romanesque forms to Elizabethan revival and 1930s expressionist design. The district is cited as an early leader in graded high school courses, practical training, domestic science and junior high schools. Its siting is described as a rare example of campus planning for public schools in Pennsylvania.
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 85001676, listed August 2, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1801 Susquehanna Rd., Abington |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | August 2, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001676 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1908-1932 |
| Architect / builder | Heacock & Hokinson (architects, 1908 and later additions); MacKenzie & Blew (architects, 1940) |
| Architectural style | High Victorian eclecticism, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, Elizabethan revival, Pennsylvania farmhouse, and expressionist forms of the 1930s with Art Deco detail |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated in excellent condition but altered; the campus no longer functions as originally intended and is underused, with Building A and the Domestic Science cottage (Building C) used as district administrative offices. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 40.11364, -75.11942 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 85001676.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4667874
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.