Paterson, John M., School
Why it's listed
Built in 1920-1921 on Buist Avenue in Philadelphia, this three-story brick school stands on a raised brick basement and was designed in the Colonial Revival manner. Its front is divided into eight bays, with projecting stair towers and entrances in the central registers, stone entryways with entablatures at the ground floor, and a stylized gable above. A stone dripcourse, beltcourse and cornice mark its floors, and the school's name is set above the central bays. The building was produced under the Philadelphia School District's architects' office, with John Cassell and Irwin T. Catharine leading the work after Richards left the School Board. It is regarded as a transitional example of school design following World War I, and it is one of three schools built from the same Type Number 136 plan. The building is listed as a contributing resource in a thematic group of Philadelphia public schools.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building represents the early work of the Catharine era and the transitional phase of school design after 1918. It is one of three schools built from the same Type Number 136 design, which marks the period when Cassell and Catharine began to move away from the standards set by Richards. The form recommends its inclusion as part of the Philadelphia Schools Thematic Resource.
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 88002305, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7001 Buist Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002305 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1920-1921 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as excellent and integrity as excellent; the school is in use as a school. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.91619, -75.23680 (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 88002305.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6245907
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.