Wright, Richardson L., School
Why it's listed
Designed in the Colonial Revival style by Lloyd Titus, the Wright School is a Philadelphia public school building that survives largely intact. Titus held the post of Chief Draftsman for the Philadelphia School Board's Department of Buildings from 1901 to 1905, working under the Department's Supervisor, a licensed architect. He was the last non-architect to hold the position. His schools are noted for simple design, with minimal detailing and ornamentation, yet show a skilled handling of materials suited to early twentieth-century school needs. The school is significant as a rare surviving example of Titus's work. Its successor in the post, architect Henry deCoursey Richards, produced Colonial Revival schools of greater refinement in detail, which makes the contrast between architect and non-architect designs visible. The building is therefore valued for documenting Titus's contribution to turn-of-the-century Philadelphia public school architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the Wright School is one of a few surviving intact examples of Colonial Revival school designs by Lloyd Titus, who served as Chief Draftsman for the Philadelphia School Board's Department of Buildings from 1901 to 1905. It is described as a rare surviving work by Titus, an important turn-of-the-century designer of Philadelphia public schools. Its significance is placed in 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 86003348, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | 1101 Venango St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003348 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Lloyd Titus (Chief Draftsman, Philadelphia School Board Department of Buildings) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.00716, -75.14654 (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 86003348.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7330339
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.