Dunbar, Paul Lawrence, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1931-1932 for the Philadelphia School Board, the Dunbar School is a public school building that marks a transition between the boxy Art Deco style and the functional, streamlined Moderne style. It was designed by Irwin T. Catharine, who was appointed Superintendent of Buildings for the School Board and had studied architecture at Drexel Institute in preparation for that career. The school was built shortly after his appointment and was paired with the Delaplaine McDaniel School, completed in 1937, which shares the same standard design type 166 with individual variations. Catharine's work at the school draws on Art Deco, Moderne, Neo-Classical and Academic Gothic vocabularies. The building is regarded as significant for its transitional Art Deco and Moderne design by an important public school architect, and for the high design standard of school buildings during Catharine's tenure. The school is named after the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is a skillfully crafted transitional design that moves from the boxy Art Deco style toward the streamlined Moderne style. It is significant as a work by Irwin T. Catharine, described as an important public school architect, and its design quality is said to have been unsurpassed for school buildings of its time under his tenure.
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 86003274, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | Twelfth above Columbia Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003274 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Transitional Art Deco/Moderne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.97886, -75.15421 (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 86003274.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7151965
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.