Jefferson, Thomas, School
Also known as: High School for International Affairs
Why it's listed
A four-story brick school at 1101-1125 North 4th Street in Philadelphia, completed in 1924 and designed by Irwin T. Catharine. It sits on a raised brick basement with a limestone dripcourse and stone sills, and its flat roof is set above a nine-register front. The entrance portico has Doric columns supporting an entablature at the center of the ground floor. Several panels of diapered brick decorate the sides in the first register, and crosses set within diamonds appear at parapet level above each register. The building reflects Catharine's shift away from the Colonial Revival and Utilitarian styles of his predecessor, H. deCourcy Richards, toward the Art Deco and Academic Gothic forms that characterize much of his middle-years work. It was nominated as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District, and the building is the single contributing resource on its parcel. Its tax parcel is 886113000, and the School District of Philadelphia is the recorded owner.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant as a contributing resource within the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District. It is linked to architect Irwin T. Catharine's middle-period work, which moved away from Colonial Revival and Utilitarian styles toward Art Deco and Academic Gothic forms. It is evaluated 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 88002280, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1101--1125 N. 4th St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002280 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco/Utilitarian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good; the building is used as the High School for International Affairs. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.96806, -75.14318 (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 88002280.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7791285
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.