Brooks, George L., School
Why it's listed
Built in 1902 in Philadelphia as a public school, the George Brooks School was designed by School Board draftsman Lloyd Titus in the Anglo-Gothic manner used by the city's Department of Buildings in the early twentieth century. A fire in 1919 partially destroyed the building. Henry DeCoursey Richards then prepared new interior designs, working within the surviving exterior walls and keeping the original character of the structure. The result is a rusticated stone building that combines the work of both men. The nomination treats it as an outstanding and largely intact example of academic Anglo-Gothic school architecture from the period. Its significance rests mainly on its architectural design and on the way the two designers shaped a rebuilt school. Today the building houses the headquarters of the Family Development Corporation, a community organization that has adapted the former school for its own use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an exceptionally intact example of the academic Anglo-Gothic design used for early twentieth-century Philadelphia public schools. It also reflects the combined work of two School Board draftsmen, Lloyd Titus and Henry DeCoursey Richards, after a 1919 fire destroyed part of the original 1902 building.
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 86003266, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5629--5643 Haverford Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003266 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Lloyd Titus (architect, 1902 original building); Henry DeCoursey Richards (designer of 1919 interior after fire) |
| Architectural style | Anglo-Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now serves as headquarters for the Family Development Corporation |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Within district | Fairmount Park |
| Coordinates | 39.96828, -75.23358 (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 86003266.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5541442
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.