Childs, George W., School
Why it's listed
Built in 1893-1894 at the corner of 17th and Dickinson Streets in South Philadelphia, the Childs School is a three-story brick building with brownstone trim, a stone watertable, a central arched street-level entrance, a Palladian window in the gable, and a copper cornice. Architect Joseph W. Anschutz designed it with a block of fifteen classrooms, and he added six more in 1894. Its design marks a shift in his work from Queen Anne forms, seen in his earlier Landreth School, toward the Colonial Revival style of his later Sheridan School. A 1928 rear addition by Irwin T. Catharine, a nine-register yellow brick wing with limestone trim, raised the classroom count to 39 and departs from Anschutz's design. The original formal facades are still intact, and the building is significant for its architecture as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools group.
Significance in brief: The school is presented as a transitional design by architect Joseph W. Anschutz, moving from his earlier Queen Anne work toward Colonial Revival buildings. Its original formal exterior facades are said to have survived despite a large 1928 rear addition. It is listed under Architecture criterion C as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools multiple resource area.
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 88002257, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1501 S. 17th St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002257 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1893-1894 |
| Architect / builder | Joseph W. Anschutz (architect); Johnson & Byrens (builder) |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good and integrity as fair; the building is described as a school in use. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.93144, -75.17283 (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 88002257.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5545564
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.