Harding, Warren G., Junior High School
Why it's listed
Built in 1923-1924 at 2000 Wakeling Street in Philadelphia, this three-story brick junior high school rests on a raised stone basement. Its front is shaped as a shallow W, with a projecting central pavilion of stone that carries the school's name above the third floor. The building was designed by Irwin T. Catharine as one of eight identical schools built by the School District of Philadelphia from a single model between 1922 and 1924. The design was devised for the district's new junior high schools, which followed changing ideas about education in the years after World War I. The school was large for its era, exceeded in size only by the city's senior high schools. Its windows were replaced in 1985-1986, but the nomination judges that the building retains very good integrity. It is listed for its importance to education and school architecture in Philadelphia.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school represents the School District's early 1920s program of building junior high schools in response to changing educational theory. It is one of eight identical buildings erected from Catharine's JHS-4 model between 1922 and 1924, and it is regarded as an architectural response to that new need. It is considered significant for its place in the history of education and school architecture in Philadelphia.
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 88002277, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2000 Wakeling St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002277 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923-1924 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Windows replaced in 1985-1986; in use as a school |
| Acreage | 8.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.01264, -75.07426 (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 88002277.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7970212
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.