McDaniel, Delaplaine, School
Why it's listed
Built between 1935 and 1937, the Delaplaine McDaniel School is a public elementary school in Philadelphia designed in the high style Art Deco manner. The school architect Irwin T. Catharine designed the building, which is organized around double-loaded corridors. Its horizontal spandrels and ribbon bands are set against tall, slender piers, giving the facade a pronounced linear quality. Compared with Catharine's earlier Art Deco work, the McDaniel School has a more elaborate surface treatment and richer ornament, while still fitting the massing and scale that a school required. The plan includes a large assembly hall, a kindergarten room, and an industrial arts room on the upper floor, serving a broad range of elementary pupils. The school is significant for its architecture, especially its ornate Art Deco detailing, and it is regarded as one of the notable Art Deco schools that Catharine designed for the city's public school system.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is an exceptional example of Art Deco school design in Philadelphia during the 1930s. Its linear spandrels, ribbon bands and attenuated piers give it a strong vertical and horizontal character, and its ornate surface detailing is described as unusually rich compared with other Art Deco schools by the same architect. The plan, with a large assembly hall and kindergarten, is noted as meeting the needs of a wide range of elementary pupils.
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 86003303, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | 2100 Moore St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003303 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 39.92800, -75.18359 (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 86003303.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5253171
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.