Bridesburg School
Also known as: Irving School
Why it's listed
Brick public school building at 2624 Haworth Street in Philadelphia, begun in 1847 and completed in 1848 in the Greek Revival style. Its builder is recorded as Henry Funk. The original two-story building held five classrooms. In 1866 Charles Fay built an addition with three more classrooms, extending the building deeper with three additional registers of bays. The original openings are partly filled, and a new entrance was cut from a former window. Wooden sills, lintels and a pedimented gable end remain. The school is regarded as the third oldest surviving public school building in Philadelphia, after the Mifflin School and the Penn Township Schools. The Penn Township School was judged too altered to qualify. The building was replaced by a new Bridesburg School in 1888 and sold in 1894. It is significant for its architecture and its place in the early history of Philadelphia public education, and it is one contributing building on its tax parcel.
Significance in brief: The document argues the building is the third oldest surviving public school building in Philadelphia, one of a small group of surviving schools from the first thirty-two years of school construction by the School Board. It is significant for its architecture and its role in public education. The original building contained five classrooms and the 1866 addition added three more.
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 88002285, listed April 10, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2624 Haworth St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | April 10, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002285 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1847-1848 |
| Architect / builder | Henry Funk (builder); Samuel Sloan was the School Board's architect; Charles Fay constructed the 1866 addition |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The document lists the present use as warehouse and the condition as fair; it also states the school was replaced by a new Bridesburg School in 1888 and sold in 1894. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.00255, -75.06780 (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 88002285.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966149
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.