Hopkinson, Francis, School
Why it's listed
Located on East Luzerne Avenue in Philadelphia, the Francis Hopkinson School is a three-story school of yellow brick set on a raised basement, completed in 1926-1927 to a design by Irwin T. Catharine. The building's Art Deco character comes from its colored terra cotta trim, a brick diapered panel, and a colorful arched entrance framed by clustered pilasters, with projecting stair towers flanking the central block. It is one of six schools Catharine built from School Board Type Number 144 between 1924 and 1930, the group that marked his shift from Colonial Revival designs to the modern Art Deco style. The nomination regards the school as an excellent example of that work, with a very high degree of integrity. Its listing rests on its architecture and its place within the Philadelphia Public Schools group. A non-contributing building also stands on the nominated parcel, which covers about two acres.
Significance in brief: The document argues the school is one of six buildings constructed from the same School Board design (Type Number 144) by Catharine between 1924 and 1930, and that it is an excellent example of his Art Deco school work. It is said to retain a very high degree of integrity. It is nominated under Criterion C for architecture.
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 88002282, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1301--1331 E. Luzerne Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002282 |
| 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) | Condition recorded as excellent on the survey form; in use as a school. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 40.00829, -75.10225 (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 88002282.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5481319
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.