Creighton, Thomas, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1929-1930 to a design by Irwin T. Catharine, the Thomas Creighton School is a three-story, eight-bay elementary school of red brick with terra cotta trim, set on a raised basement. Its outer bays are blank and feature a large diapered brick panel, while the central bays have five windows each arranged in a 1-3-1 pattern, separated by brick piers with terra cotta capitals. Stone arched entrances flank the ground floor, and the top is finished with a crenellated battlement and four small corner towers. The building uses the same basic plan as six yellow brick schools Catharine designed in the 1920s, with the Creighton School substituting red brick and a Late Gothic Revival treatment in place of Art Deco. The nomination regards it as an example of the Philadelphia School District's large 1920s building program and of Catharine's late work in the Collegiate Gothic idiom. It is considered to retain excellent integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant for its place in the history of education and school architecture in Philadelphia. It is one of a group of schools built in the 1920s from Irwin T. Catharine's standard design, and it is described as the most fully developed version of that design, blending Late Gothic Revival detailing with Art Deco forms. The form notes the building retains excellent integrity.
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 88002260, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5401 Tabor Rd., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002260 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect); Unknown (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Within district | Friends Hospital |
| Coordinates | 40.02523, -75.10509 (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 88002260.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7788695
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.