Stanton, Edwin M., School
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Why it's listed
Built in 1925-1926 from plans by Irwin T. Catharine, the Edwin M. Stanton School is a three-story brick building on a raised basement at Christian and 17th Streets in Philadelphia. It was constructed by McCloskey & Company under a building permit issued in 1925. Its free-standing Greek Doric portico at the west entrance is highlighted with colored tiles, and a stone dripcourse runs along the base, with a band of colored tiles beneath the stone cornice and brick parapet. The school belongs to a group of five Type 146 buildings the School Board erected between 1925 and 1929, and it is identical to the Mary C. Wister and Lydia Darrah Schools. Its Art Deco design marked a clear departure from the Georgian Revival and Collegiate Gothic styles then common for school buildings. The building is listed for its architecture and for its retention of most of its original appearance. It is one of the earliest schools in the group.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a clear example of the Art Deco style applied to a school, marking a break from earlier forms such as Georgian Revival and Collegiate Gothic. It is described as identical to the Mary C. Wister and Lydia Darrah Schools and retains most of its original appearance. It is listed as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic Nomination under architecture.
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 88002326, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1616--1644 Christian St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002326 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925-1926 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect); McCloskey & Company (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition, excellent integrity |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.94028, -75.17074 (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 88002326.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5346637
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.