Barton, Clara, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1924-1925 to a design by Irwin T. Catharine, the Clara Barton School at 300 East Wyoming Avenue in Philadelphia is a three-story building of yellow brick set on a raised basement. Its main entrance is an arched opening framed by terra cotta trim and clustered pilasters, and the central floors each have five windows in a 1-3-1 pattern. The building is one of six constructed on the same model between 1924 and 1930 and was given School Board Type Number 144. It is regarded as the first building in which Catharine used terra cotta tiles, a feature he later employed extensively in his late 1920s and early 1930s designs. The school is considered an excellent example of his Art Deco school designs and retains a very high degree of integrity. It is significant under Criterion C for architecture and is part of the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic group. The building remains in use as a school and is in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an excellent example of the Art Deco school designs of architect Catharine, and that it is one of a group of six schools built on the same model. It is said to have a very high degree of integrity. The form states that the building introduced Catharine's use of terra cotta tiles, which he later used extensively in other designs.
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 88002242, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 300 E. Wyoming Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002242 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1925 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; present use is school |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.02035, -75.11973 (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.
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 88002242.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5125942
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.