Joseph H. Brown Elementary School - Philadelphia, PA
N 40° 02.616 W 075° 01.464
18T E 497918 N 4432596
This NRHP site and public school was erected in the late 30s and according to several sources is an exemplar of Art Deco and Moderne schools of architecture.
Waymark Code: WMC2J0
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 07/17/2011
Views: 3
This building definitely has character, distinguishing itself with beautiful frieze art and a nice cornerstone with the date in relief. The cornerstone bears a 1937 date but it has suffered some wear and tear and is in need of rehab. The building is a couple of stories high and made of brick. Along a front brick wall, not attached to the building is a fantastic mosaic about the environment and specifically, trees. The mural is definitely worth a look-see. Parking is free and available street side. Do not come at night.
From Wikipedia (Source cited below)
Joseph H. Brown Elementary School is an elementary school on Frankford Avenue at Stanwood Street in the Northeast Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, currently serving students from kindergarten to sixth grade.
The current school building was constructed in 1937, replacing an earlier building on the same site. The school building was designed by Irwin T. Catharine, then the Philadelphia School District's main architect, and is an exemplar of the Art Deco and Moderne schools of architecture.
From the School website:
The Joseph H. Brown Elementary School is located at Frankford Avenue and Stanwood Street in Holmesburg. The school is a community school with an enrollment of approximately 610 students. Our student population begins with Kindergarten and ends with grade six. Our programs are dedicated to world-class standards in all areas of the curriculum with particular emphasis in the areas of literacy, environmental science, technology and service learning. We encourage our families to take an active role in the education of their children through participation in the classroom learning environment and through involvement in our J.H. Brown Home and School Association.
In the year 1895, the Joseph H. Brown School was opened, replacing the Columbia School. It was rebuilt in 1937. The school was named for a member of an old Holmesburg family which had large real estate holdings in the area. Joseph Henry Brown was born on January 26,1847. He was elected to the Common Council in 1881 and was responsible for resurfacing Frankford Avenue, extending police and fire wires to the Northeast, and building Fire Stations #36 (Holmesburg) and #38 (Tacony). Mr. Brown was able to accomplish these and other things by helping to develop and pass laws and obtain the necessary money. Joseph H. Brown was a member of local organizations and strove for the advancements of the community. It was for this ambitious individual that our school was named, immortalizing his outstanding contributions to this community. SOURCE