Wolf, George, School
Also known as: Bartram High School Annex
Why it's listed
Built in 1926-1927 at 8100 Lyons Avenue in Philadelphia, this three-story school is faced in yellow brick and rests on a raised brick basement. Designed by Irwin T. Catharine in the Late Gothic Revival style, it has projecting end bays with stone surrounds and carved decorative panels, a recessed main facade, and a central entrance with an arched door opening beneath a two-story stone bay. A crenellated parapet crowns the building, with carved stone highlighting the parapet above the entrance. The design follows the exterior plan Catharine used for the John Story Jenks and Andrew Morrison Schools in 1922-1924, but with many stone embellishments omitted. It is the only building erected strictly from School Board Type Number 150. Its significance lies in representing one of Catharine's principal school design types. The building was constructed as the George Wolf School and later used as the Bartram High School Annex. Its windows were replaced around 1985-1986.
Significance in brief: The building is an example of one of Catharine's principal school design types, School Board Type Number 150, and is the only building erected strictly from that design. The nomination argues it warrants listing under Architecture as part of the Philadelphia Public Schools Thematic District, despite window replacements around 1985-1986.
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 88002243, listed November 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 8100 Lyons Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | November 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002243 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1926-1927 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect); unknown (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good; windows replaced around 1985-1986; present use listed as school. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Coordinates | 39.89854, -75.23381 (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 88002243.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5546467
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.