Sullivan, James J., School
Why it's listed
Built in 1929-1930 on Ditman Street in Philadelphia, the James J. Sullivan School is a three-story school of yellow brick set on a raised basement. Architect Irwin T. Catharine designed it using School Board Type Number 144, a model he had first used for the Clara Barton School in 1924-1925. The entrance is marked by a colorful arched doorway with terra cotta trim and clustered pilasters, and the stairtowers project from the facade. Brick panels with diaper patterning and a terra cotta cornice add further decoration. The building marked a shift in Philadelphia school design from Colonial Revival toward the modern Art Deco style, and Catharine used this style for many later schools. Six schools were built from the same model between 1924 and 1930. The building is regarded as an excellent example of this style and retains a very high degree of integrity. It is nominated as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools thematic group.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is an excellent example of Catharine's 1920s and 1930s Art Deco school designs, with a very high degree of integrity. It is one of six schools built on the same model between 1924 and 1930. It is nominated as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District under architecture criteria.
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 88002327, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5300 Ditman St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002327 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect); School Board of Philadelphia (builder) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; present use listed as school. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.01589, -75.06688 (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 88002327.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6136767
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.