Fleisher, Samuel S., Art Memorial
Also known as: St. Martin's College for Boys
Why it's listed
Four connected brick buildings on a South Philadelphia block form the Fleisher Art Memorial. The Sanctuary, a Romanesque basilica completed in 1886 as the Church of the Evangelists, was designed by L.C. Baker and E.J. Dallett and modeled on San Zeno Maggiore in Verona. It incorporates the campanile of an 1857 church and holds a rose window made in Roermond, a reredos by Violet Oakley, and frescoes by Robert Henri and Nicola d'Ascenzio. The adjoining St. Martin's College building of 1906 was a free school for poor boys of any faith. In 1916 Samuel S. Fleisher bought the group for his Graphic Sketch Club, which offered free art instruction to the public and later became the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, which continues to operate as a free art school and museum. The complex is regarded as an important expression of late nineteenth-century High Church taste and of the social and humanitarian role of art in the city.
Significance in brief: The Sanctuary embodies late nineteenth-century High Church Episcopal taste and Italianate Romanesque architecture, and the complex is significant for its later use by Samuel S. Fleisher's Graphic Sketch Club, which became the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, described as the only free art school and museum in the nation. The buildings also reflect social and humanitarian efforts to provide free education and art instruction to a poor immigrant neighborhood.
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 82001547, listed November 14, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 711-721 Catharine St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 14, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001547 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1857-1906 |
| Architect / builder | L.C. Baker and E.J. Dallett of Furness & Evans Co. (architects) |
| Architectural style | Italianate Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operates as an art school and museum; the Sanctuary is described as somewhat dilapidated but rich in historical features. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.93913, -75.15529 (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 82001547.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7412542
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.