Fell, D. Newlin, School
Why it's listed
At 900 Oregon Avenue in Philadelphia stands a three-story school building of brick with stone trim, erected in 1922-1924 to designs by Irwin T. Catharine. It rests on a raised brick basement and is organized in eight bays, with projecting end bays containing the entrance and stairtower. Stone dripcourses, a beltcourse at the second-floor sill line, and a carved stone panel bearing the school's name on a brick parapet with stone coping define its Colonial Revival character. The building was constructed on the north end of a lot that also holds the George C. Thomas school, built the previous year from the same School Board design. It is regarded as an intact example of Catharine's schools of the period, though its windows have been altered in recent years. The school is significant for its architecture and is part of the wider Philadelphia Public Schools thematic group.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is an intact representative of the Catharine-designed schools of the period in the Colonial Revival style. It is evaluated under Criterion C for architecture and is considered eligible as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District. The building shares its site and tax parcel with the George C. Thomas school, built from the same School Board 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 88002268, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 900 Oregon Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002268 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1924 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Windows have recently been altered; condition recorded as excellent and use as school. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.91542, -75.16343 (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 88002268.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5203744
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.