Philadelphia College of Art (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb:Furness Additio
Why it's listed
Two brick wings with sandstone trim stand at the western end of the Philadelphia College of Art complex, facing Pine, 15th and Delancey Streets. Completed in 1875 by the firm of Furness and Hewitt, they extend the earlier Strickland wings of the Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, whose original building dates to 1824. The wings have steep slate hipped roofs, ornate bulbous chimneys, and dormer-gables with gothic arches set against a corbelled brick cornice. The 15th Street facades use progressively pointed arch windows from the first floor to the third. A small boiler house built in 1879 stands between the wings. The buildings are significant as a rare surviving example of Frank Furness's early institutional work, a architect the nomination describes as highly influential and as a teacher of Louis Sullivan. They are also part of a complex representing 150 years of American educational architecture, which the nomination treats as a reason for listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the addition is a work by Frank Furness, described as one of America's more influential nineteenth-century architects, and an example of his early institutional style. It also argues the wings complete a building complex that has served American education for over 150 years. The document calls the surviving structure a critical example of Furness's work.
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 78002451, listed December 15, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Broad and Pine Sts., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 15, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002451 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1874-1875 |
| Architect / builder | Frank Furness (architect), Furness and Hewitt (firm) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered: three chimneys lost their tops, some gables were replaced with shed dormers, several windows were bricked up or replaced, and skylights and enclosed bridges and galleries were added. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Within district | Broad Street Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 39.94578, -75.16648 (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 78002451.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.