Dobson, James, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1929-1930 as an elementary school on Umbria Street in Germantown, Philadelphia, this three-story brick building sits on a raised brick basement and is trimmed in stone. Irwin T. Catharine designed it in the Late Gothic Revival style. A central entrance pavilion carries an arched stone-trimmed opening with the school's name carved above it, and the side elevations repeat the front facade's details, with a stairtower on each. The design followed the School Board's Type Number 159, a standard plan used for two Philadelphia schools of this period. The building is regarded as a good example of the typical Philadelphia elementary school of its era, and its Gothic detailing reflects Catharine's work. It was added to the National Register as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic group, which covers the city's public school buildings from this time, and it is the only contributing building on its nominated parcel.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a good example of the typical Philadelphia elementary school of its time, designed from the School Board's Type Number 159 and reflecting Catharine's use of Gothic details. It is nominated as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic group under architecture criterion C.
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 88002264, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4665 Umbria St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002264 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a school; condition recorded as excellent. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Fairmount Park |
| Coordinates | 40.03126, -75.23028 (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 88002264.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6132679
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.