Olney Elementary School
Why it's listed
Olney Elementary School is a Georgian Revival school building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, created at the turn of the twentieth century for the city's School Board. Its design was the work of architect Andrew Sauer, who held a brief tenure with the Board. The building is domestic in scale and is valued for its attention to proportion, balance, massing and detailing, the qualities that defined the Georgian Revival style in America. That style suited institutional buildings and expressed the prosperity and civic pride of the period. The school is considered an exceptionally intact example of the style, and it epitomizes turn-of-the-century school design in the city. Sauer's work followed the late nineteenth-century Revival styles introduced by his predecessor, Joseph Anshutz, during the 1890s. Few schools by Sauer survive, which adds to the building's importance as a fine example of his work.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an exceptionally intact example of Georgian Revival institutional architecture and a fine representative of turn-of-the-century school design in Philadelphia. It is one of the few schools designed by architect Andrew Sauer during his short tenure with the School Board, and it shows the proportion, balance, massing and detailing associated with the style.
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 86003311, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | Tabor Rd. and Water St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003311 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Andrew Sauer (architect) |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 40.03062, -75.11752 (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 86003311.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7088451
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.