Landreth, David, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1889 to a design by architect Joseph Anshutz, the Landreth School occupies a Philadelphia site where public education has been provided since 1845, when David Landreth, founder of the city's prominent nursery and seed business, sold his private home at 23rd and Federal Streets to the Public School Board. An earlier Landreth School stood on the site from 1865 until 1889, when it was moved to the rear of the property, and its 1865 wing was demolished in 1923 when two large wings were added to the 1889 building. Anshutz designed some 75 Philadelphia school buildings, many closely similar to this one, reflecting the School Board's practice of selecting a limited number of plans and repeating them across the city. The building is distinguished by brick corbelling, tall attenuated chimneys and molded brick belt courses. Its original section has a single-loaded corridor with flanking stairs and five classrooms on each floor, a variation of the Sloan Plan popular in Philadelphia for about fifty years. It is regarded as one of the few relatively intact examples of its model.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school represents an important period in school design, embodying Victorian-era flamboyance and eccentricity in public school architecture. It is presented as a prototypical Queen Anne influenced design by Anshutz that represents the single loaded corridor variation of the Sloan Plan, with few relatively intact examples of its model surviving. Its brickwork and chimneys are cited as Furness-influenced Queen Anne features.
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 86003299, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1201 S. Twenty-third St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003299 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Joseph Anshutz (architect) |
| Architectural style | Furness-inspired High Style Victorian Gothic; Queen Anne influenced |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.93756, -75.18127 (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 86003299.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5236321
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.