Forrest, Edwin, School
Why it's listed
A three-story yellow brick school set on a raised basement, built in 1928-1929 on Bleigh Street in Philadelphia to a design by Irwin T. Catharine. Its central feature is an arched entryway framed by terra cotta trim and clustered pilasters, with terra cotta panels around the first-floor entrance and a carved stone name plaque set in the parapet. Projecting stair towers flank the facade, and a diapered brick panel fills the full height of the outer bay above the basement. Catharine used School Board Type Number 144 for this building, which he had first used for the Clara Barton School in 1924-1925. The Edwin Forrest School is one of six schools built from this model between 1924 and 1930, and it is among the group that marked the move from Colonial Revival to Art Deco in Philadelphia school design. The building is regarded as having a very high degree of integrity, and a one-story noncontributing building stands on the same parcel. It was added to the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic group in 1988 as a contributing resource.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant as one of six schools built from School Board Type Number 144 between 1924 and 1930, showing the shift from Colonial Revival to Art Deco in Catharine's school designs. It is described as having a very high degree of integrity and as an excellent example of his 1920s and 1930s Art Deco work.
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 88002273, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4300 Bleigh St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002273 |
| Resource type | Building |
| 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) | Used as a school; condition recorded as excellent. |
| Acreage | 3.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.03464, -75.03607 (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 88002273.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5346423
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.