Federal Street School
Also known as: Jackson,Andrew,School
Why it's listed
Designed in 1924 under the direction of Superintendent of Buildings John D. Cassell by Irwin T. Catharine, the Jackson School is a Philadelphia public school built in the Academic Gothic style. It was based on standard school design #145, which was first introduced that year, and was repeated only three times elsewhere in the city's school system, possibly because its level of detailing made it costly to reproduce. Its ornamentation is considered exceptionally elaborate for a late example of the style, and in detailing it compares favorably with the Horace Furness School, one of Henry deCoursey Richards' most ornate Gothic schools. The building was erected as the Gothic idiom was falling out of favor in school design in favor of Art Deco and later Moderne designs. For these reasons it is regarded as a significant example of late Academic Gothic school architecture in Philadelphia.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an exceptionally detailed and late example of the Academic Gothic style among Philadelphia public schools. It is said to compare favorably in detailing with the Horace Furness School, one of Henry deCoursey Richards' most ornate Gothic schools. It was built when Gothic was giving way to Art Deco and Moderne in school design.
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 86003294, listed December 1, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1130--1148 Federal St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 1, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003294 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Academic Gothic |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.93434, -75.16324 (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 86003294.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5440448
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.