Hanna, William B., School
Why it's listed
Built by the Philadelphia School Board's Department of Buildings in the early twentieth century, the William B. Hanna School is an academic building in the Anglo-Gothic style. School Board draftsman Henry deCoursey Richards designed it, and it is regarded as an exceptionally intact example of his work. Richards produced several schools in the same style and massing, and the Hanna School closely resembles the Anthony Wayne School. Richards adopted the Collegiate or Anglo-Gothic style, which was popular in the early twentieth century, for a number of his school designs. The Hanna School is less ornate than his Horace Furness School, but it is representative of his Gothic-style schools generally. Its significance lies in its value as an example of the work of Richards, a notable Philadelphia public school architect, and of the Gothic school designs he produced for the city.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is an exceptionally intact example of early twentieth-century Anglo-Gothic school design. It is representative of the Gothic-style schools designed by Henry deCoursey Richards, a significant Philadelphia public school architect. It closely resembles the Anthony Wayne School, which shares its identical style and massing.
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 86003288, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | 5720--5738 Media St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003288 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Henry deCoursey Richards (School Board draftsman, Philadelphia School Board Department of Buildings) |
| Architectural style | Anglo-Gothic (Collegiate Gothic) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Within district | Fairmount Park |
| Coordinates | 39.97628, -75.23583 (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 86003288.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8004796
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.