Smith, Walter George, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1924-25 in Philadelphia, the Walter George Smith School is a red brick and limestone public school designed in the Academic Gothic manner by Irwin T. Catharine. Catharine graduated from the Drexel Institute's architectural program in 1903 and was hired by the Board of Education as an assistant designer soon after. He became Head Draftsman by 1919 and Superintendent of Buildings in 1930. The school is regarded as an exceptionally intact example of his work. Its pointed-arch window and door elements, along with its brick and limestone colour and texture, combine into a balanced composition with no over-embellished detailing. Its intricate ornament is comparable to that of Catharine's Olney High School, which is one of his best Gothic designs, though the Smith School is smaller in scale. Its significance rests on its architecture as an excellent example of Catharine's Gothic public school buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is an exceptionally intact example of the design work of Irwin T. Catharine, a Board of Education architect. It is said to show no flaws, understatements or over-embellishment, with balanced use of red brick, limestone, windows and doors. It is compared favorably with Catharine's Olney High School, and the nomination treats it as an excellent example of his Gothic public school designs.
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 86003329, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1300 S. Fourteenth St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003329 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1925 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Academic Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.93468, -75.17588 (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 86003329.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7964934
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.