Horn, George L., School
Why it's listed
Built as a school in Philadelphia, the George L. Horn School is an Anglo-Gothic design by Lloyd Titus, a draftsman for the Philadelphia School Board. Titus is best known for his numerous Colonial Revival school designs, but the Horn School shows his knowledge of Academic Gothic, a style popular for early twentieth century collegiate buildings. Titus served as the last non-architect to hold the position of Chief Draftsman under the School Board's Supervisor of Buildings. He was succeeded by the architect Henry deCoursey Richards, whose Colonial Revival schools show greater sophistication in detailing and innovation. The Horn School is valued for its unusual, well-preserved condition and for its demonstration of Titus's skill with materials and simplified detailing. Its significance rests on its example of the Gothic style in his work, which helps show the difference between schools designed by non-architects and those designed by trained architects in the district.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is an unusual and intact example of Titus's Gothic work, set against his many Colonial Revival school designs. It notes Titus was the last non-architect to serve as Chief Draftsman under the School Board's Supervisor of Buildings, succeeded by architect Henry deCoursey Richards. The building is presented as an example of Titus's skillful use of the Gothic style.
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 86003292, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | Frankford and Castor Aves., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003292 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Lloyd Titus (School Board draftsman) |
| Architectural style | Anglo-Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.99946, -75.09896 (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 86003292.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5541457
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.