Kinsey, John L., School
Why it's listed
Built to the Academic Gothic Type 130 plan, the Kinsey School in Philadelphia is one of only three schools of this design. Henry deCoursey Richards designed it while serving as Chief Draftsman for the Board of Education under Superintendent of Buildings J. Horace Cook, a post he held from 1906 to 1916. The building is laid out in a wide U shape around a central auditorium, with 34 classrooms along a single loaded corridor. Specialized rooms were provided for manual training, domestic science, a gymnasium, an infirmary and offices. Alongside the Furness and Mitchell schools, it is regarded as a richly ornamented example of Richards' Gothic work. Its exceptional intactness and detailed Gothic design, produced when such ornamentation was uncommon in school architecture, form the basis for its recognition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an exceptionally intact example of the Academic Gothic Type 130 school design by Henry deCoursey Richards. It is described as richly ornamented and among Richards' last designs for the Board, at a time when such ornamented designs were unusual. Its plan includes a central auditorium, 34 classrooms and specialized rooms for manual training, domestic science, gymnastics, infirmary and offices.
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 86003297, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | Sixty-fifth Ave. and Limekiln Pike, Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003297 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Henry deCoursey Richards (architect) |
| Architectural style | Academic Gothic |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 40.05328, -75.15227 (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 86003297.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6243617
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.