Jones, John Paul, Junior High School
Why it's listed
Built in 1923-1924 as a junior high school in Philadelphia, this three-story brick building stands on a raised stone basement at 21st and Winter Streets. Its front is shaped in a shallow W, with a projected central pavilion that has an arched stone entrance on the first floor, stone pilasters, and a balcony above. The flanking sections have brick first floors, triple sash windows, and recessed upper floors with stone sills and keystone-centered lintels. The design was devised by Ketcham & McQuade, with Irwin T. Catharine as builder. It belonged to a wave of school construction after World War I, when the School District of Philadelphia began designing buildings specifically as junior high schools. The school was one of eight identical buildings erected from this model between 1922 and 1924, and it was large for its era. It is significant for its role in the history of Philadelphia school architecture and pedagogy, and its integrity is described as excellent.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school represents the School District of Philadelphia's early twentieth-century program of erecting junior high schools in response to changing educational theory. It is one of eight identical buildings the district erected from a model devised by Irwin T. Catharine between 1922 and 1924, and it is considered significant for its place in the history of pedagogy and school architecture in Philadelphia. The document states the building retains excellent integrity.
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 88002287, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2922 Memphis St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002287 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923-1924 |
| Architect / builder | Ketcham & McQuade (architect); Irwin T. Catharine (builder) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition; original use as a school, present use as a school |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.98612, -75.11253 (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 88002287.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6252233
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.