Crossan, Kennedy, School
Why it's listed
Built between 1922 and 1924 on Palmetto Street in Philadelphia, the Kennedy Crossan School is a two-story brick building set on a raised brick basement. Its central entrance has an arched opening with stone surrounds and a stone name panel above. Two-story openings with three sash on each floor, stone panels between the floors, and a small stone cornice beneath a crenellated brick parapet give the front its character. The architect was Irwin T. Catharine, and the design is in the Late Gothic Revival style. The school is significant as an example of the shift in Philadelphia school design away from the industrial features of earlier work toward freer Gothic detailing. It is one of several schools of the early 1920s that show this change. A 1966 portable classroom stands apart from the main building on the same parcel.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school illustrates the change in Philadelphia school design from Richards' heavy reliance on industrial features to Catharine's more imaginative use of Gothic details. It is grouped with other early 1920s schools by Jenks and Morrison. The nomination is assessed under architecture criteria.
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 88002261, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7341 Palmetto St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002261 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1924 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect); Unknown (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition; a portable school erected in 1966 stands separate from the main structure. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.06210, -75.08134 (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 88002261.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6389605
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.