Disston, Hamilton, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1923-1924 as an elementary school at 6801 Cottage Street in Philadelphia, the three-story brick building stands on a raised brick basement and is laid out in nine bays across the front. Large stone arched surrounds frame the first-floor openings, and a double stone cornice sits above them, while a brick parapet capped with stone coping carries the school's name carved into it. The side elevations have five bays and a projecting entrance pavilion framed by double pilasters and an entablature. The building was one of eight schools erected from the same School Board Type Number 137 plans, and its design follows standards set by H. deCourcy Richards when he served as Chief Designer for the School District of Philadelphia. The school district's early 1920s building program produced thirteen elementary schools and eight junior high schools. The building is significant for its architecture as a representative example of that standardized, Colonial Revival school design, and it is listed as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic district.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant under Criterion C for architecture. It was one of six elementary schools begun in 1923 from School Board Type Number 137 plans, which followed standards set by H. deCourcy Richards when he was Chief Designer. The building is listed as a contributing resource within the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic district.
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 88002262, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6801 Cottage St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002262 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923-1924 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect); Unknown (builder) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good; use recorded as school. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Within district | Tacony Disston Community Development Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.02833, -75.04685 (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 88002262.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5644903
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.