Built 1935-1937 Architectural style Moderne, Art Deco Area 8,000 m² Lowest grade Pre-kindergarten | Architect Catharine, Irwin T. NRHP Reference # 86003343 Phone +1 215-952-6209 Added to NRHP 4 December 1986 | |
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Location Fifth and Federal Sts., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MPS Philadelphia Public Schools TR Address 1198 S 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147, USA District School District of Philadelphia Similar Vare‑Washington School, John L Kinsey School, Francis Scott Key School, George W Nebinger School, George Sharswood School | ||
George Washington School was a school in the Dickinson Narrows neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in proximity to Southwark. Named for President George Washington, it was a part of the School District of Philadelphia. Its former building is now occupied by the Vare-Washington School, which had been renamed from Abigail Vare School.
It occupied a historic school building designed by Irwin T. Catharine and built in 1935-1937. It is a three-story, brick and limestone building in the Art Deco / Moderne-style. It features ribbon windows, brick piers, and a projecting entrance with skyscraper-like details and rounded corners with decorative figures. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Residents zoned to Washington were also zoned to Furness High School.
History
The school was originally established to serve children of workers in the Philadelphia Navy Yard and had been in operation since the U.S. Civil War period.
In 1985 Washington and one other school were the first two Philadelphia public schools to sign up for Education for Parenting, a program in which students are taught about parenting by observing real infants.
In December 2012 Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. presented a proposal that would close Washington and move Abigail Vare School into Washington's building. At the time Washington's building was in a better condition compared to Vare's, while the Vare school had an academic performance superior to that of Washington's. In March 2013, the school district voted to close Washington. Vare moved from its previous building to the former Washington building, and it is now known as Vare-Washington School.
As a result of the closing of Washington, all Washington staff and teachers were to lose their positions, even though the Washington building was staying open. On May 14, 2013, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers filed a grievance to try to reverse this decision.