Finletter, Thomas K., School
Why it's listed
Built in 1929-1930 on Front Street in north Philadelphia, the Thomas K. Finletter School is a three-story yellow brick building on a raised basement, designed by Irwin T. Catharine. Its central entrance has an arched opening with terra cotta trim and clustered pilasters, and the stair towers project from the facade. A diapered brick panel and a terra cotta cornice add further decoration. The school was built from School Board Type Number 144, the model Catharine first used for the Clara Barton School in 1924-1925. The Thomas K. Finletter School is one of six buildings built to this design between 1924 and 1930. Its use of colored terra cotta and its move from Colonial Revival into Art Deco mark a change in Philadelphia school design. The building is regarded as an excellent example of Catharine's Art Deco schools and retains a very high degree of integrity to its original design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is an excellent example of Catharine's 1920s and 1930s Art Deco school designs, with a very high degree of integrity. It is one of a group of six schools built on the same model between 1924 and 1930, and it is nominated as part of 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 88002271, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6101 N. Front St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002271 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as excellent; present use recorded as school. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 40.04377, -75.11919 (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 88002271.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7791431
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.