Overbrook School
Why it's listed
Built between 1905 and 1907 as a public school on Lebanon Avenue in Overbrook, Philadelphia, the granite-faced brick building rises two stories above a raised basement and follows the Colonial Revival style favored by the school district at the time. Lloyd Titus, the district's principal designer during the interval between Joseph W. Anschutz and H. deCourcey Richards, designed it, and William J. Smith served as builder. The facade has a central front gable with a small arched opening, arched openings on the first floor at the ends, and rectangular windows with stone lintels and sills throughout. In 1913-1914 Richards added an eight-bay wing that matched the original materials and general massing, adding a pedimented center section and large arched windows. The building is regarded as one of the last non-fireproof schools the district erected, and it is counted as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District.
Significance in brief: The building is significant for its Colonial Revival design by the Philadelphia School District's designers and as one of the last non-fireproof school buildings the district erected. It is listed as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District, and its 1913-1914 addition by H. deCourcey Richards was designed to match the original.
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 88002304, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 6201--6231 Lebanon Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002304 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1905-1907 |
| Architect / builder | Lloyd Titus (architect); William J. Smith (builder) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building is now used as a private school. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Within district | Fairmount Park |
| Coordinates | 39.98177, -75.24557 (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 88002304.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7113574
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.