Feltonville School No. 2
Also known as: Feltonville School
Why it's listed
Built in 1908 at Rising Sun Avenue and Winter Street in Feltonville, this two-story brick school rests on a raised brick basement and is trimmed with granite. Its outside projecting registers are capped by rounded parapets, and stone dripcourses and beltcourses mark the basement and second floor. Side-elevation entrances have recessed arched openings. The building was erected on the site of Feltonville School No. 1, built in 1874 and removed in 1937, and it contains twelve classrooms. It was designed by H. deCourcy Richards during his early years as chief designer for the School Board, when the district was replacing small, overcrowded schools with larger ones. Its plan was deliberately modest and utilitarian rather than showy. It is the only building erected from School Board Type No. 116 and is regarded as representative of Richards's 1910s school work. The building has retained most of its original integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion C for architecture as a representative example of the Late Gothic Revival and Utilitarian styles used by architect H. deCourcy Richards in the 1910s Philadelphia school buildings. It is the sole building erected from School Board Type No. 116 and has seen little loss of its original integrity. It is listed as a contributing resource to 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 88002269, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4901 Rising Sun Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002269 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908 |
| Architect / builder | H. deCourcy Richards (architect); Cramp & Company (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival; Utilitarian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a school |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.02467, -75.12267 (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 88002269.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5442687
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.