Powers, Thomas, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1899-1900 as a public school in Philadelphia, the Powers School was designed by the city's school architect Anschutz. Most of his early schools follow the Queen Anne and Gothic styles, and his later schools adopt Classical and Colonial Revival forms. The Powers School departs from that pattern, drawing on the Victorian Romanesque style with polychrome masonry and arched voussoirs that recall Philadelphia building fashions of the 1880s and 1890s. Its Flemish gables are also unusual within the group of Anschutz schools included in the thematic nomination. Because no other school designed by him in the group shares these Victorian Romanesque features or the Flemish gables, the building is regarded as a distinctive example of his work at the turn of the century. Its significance rests on architecture, specifically its design as a Victorian Romanesque school among his otherwise differently styled buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the Powers School is unique among the Philadelphia public schools designed by Anschutz that are included in its thematic group. Most of his early schools are Queen Anne or Gothic and his later ones Classical or Colonial Revival, while this building incorporates Victorian Romanesque elements and Flemish gables that no other school in the group shares. Its polychromy and voussoirs are said to link it to the Victorian Romanesque style popular in Philadelphia before 1900.
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 86003319, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | Frankford Ave. and Somerset St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003319 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1899-1900 |
| Architect / builder | Anschutz (architect) |
| Architectural style | Victorian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.98863, -75.11956 (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 86003319.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7793248
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.