Wayne, Anthony, School
Why it's listed
Built in 1908-1909 at 2700 Morris Street in Philadelphia, the Anthony Wayne School is a four-story, five-bay school building of brick cladding over reinforced concrete. It was designed by Henry deCoursey Richards, Chief Draftsman for Superintendent of Buildings J. Horace Cook, who held that post from 1906 until 1916. The south entrance bay is its main feature, with Gothicized terra cotta work around an arched surround, a heavily ornamented terra cotta bay rising to the third floor, and a sculptured cartouche crowning the composition. Terra cotta quoining marks the corners, and the parapet carries further decorative terra cotta panels. The building is regarded as an exceptionally ornamented Gothic design by Richards, at a time when such detailing was unusual on early twentieth-century Philadelphia public schools. It is also described as the only intact example of its school type, Type No. 117.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is the only intact example of its school type (Type No. 117) and is notable for its rich terra cotta ornament in a quatrefoil motif. It is presented as an exceptionally ornamented Gothic design by Richards at a time when such detailing was unusual in Philadelphia public schools.
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 86003344, listed December 1, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2700 Morris St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 1, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003344 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908-1909 |
| Architect / builder | H. deC. Richards (architect) |
| Architectural style | Academic Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as fair; the basement windows are concealed with brick and concrete infill. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.93159, -75.19085 (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 86003344.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4773695
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.