Levering, William, School
Why it's listed
Built in Roxborough in 1894-1896 from designs by Joseph W. Anschutz, this two-and-a-half-story stone school has projecting end and center sections, stone lintels and sills, and gabled dormers over the hipped roof. An annex followed in 1899, built by contractor Charles McCaul, and a mansion later acquired for school use was replaced by a large addition in 1928-1929. Irwin T. Catharine designed that three-story limestone-trimmed brick wing in an Art Deco style, with vertical brick piers dividing each section into a 1-3-1 window pattern. The entrance section is more finely detailed than the other three. The school is significant for showing, on one site, how public school planning and design changed over about thirty years. It was counted among the contributing properties of the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic group, and the nominated parcel includes all historically associated land.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant under Criterion C for architecture. The original building was designed by Joseph W. Anschutz, and the 1928-1929 addition by Irwin T. Catharine in an Art Deco style, so the two designs show how public school design changed within thirty years. The form states the school contributes to the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District.
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 88002292, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5938 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002292 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1894-1896/1928-1929 |
| Architect / builder | Joseph W. Anschutz (architect, 1894-1896 building); Irwin T. Catharine (architect, 1928-1929 addition); Charles McCaul (contractor, 1899 annex) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival/Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Within district | Fairmount Park |
| Coordinates | 40.03084, -75.21305 (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 88002292.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8014517
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.