National Register of Historic Places

Jenks, John Story, School

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
November 18, 1988
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
88002286

About this property

Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences is a public K-8 school in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is part of the School District of Philadelphia. Jenks serves children from kindergarten through eighth grade and has a student population of about 600. There are two classes in each grade as well as specialized programs for life skills, inclusion/learning support and gifted support. Jenks students are required to wear school uniforms. The school was built in 1922 as the John Story Jenks School. It was built in Tudor Revival/Late Gothic Revival style and designed by Irwin T. Catharine, longtime architect for the school district. The building is yellow brick and is relatively ornate with a parapet and stylized Flemish gable at the top of the building. It was built by Cramp & Co. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Jenks was named after John Story Jenks (1839-1923), the merchant, of Randolph and Jenks, who was also a director of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia Trust Company, Western Savings Fund, Western National Bank and the Insurance Company of North America. He was a member of the Union League, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the American Philosophical Society. His home, Inglewood Cottage, designed by Cope & Stewardson, is also located in Chestnut Hill. He served on the Philadelphia Board of Education and was an avid collector and numismatist. He believed coin collecting was “instructive to any young girl or boy” for learning geography, history and languages. In 2014, the school was renamed to Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences. The change came because of an increased focus on the STEM fields. Residents zoned to Jenks are zoned to Roxborough High School. Residents zoned to Jenks were zoned to Germantown High School prior to Germantown's closure. Jenks School at the Wayback Machine (archive index) "John S. Jenks Elementary School Geographic Boundaries" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia.

Location

8301--8317 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
40.07465, -75.20333

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Graver's Lane Station
Industrial
0.2 mi
Esherick, Margaret, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Anglecot, The
Industrial
0.5 mi
Chestnut Hill Historic District
Listed
0.6 mi
Welsh, John, House
Industrial
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown — Chew House
1777Revolutionary War
2 mi
Battle of Germantown
1777Revolutionary War
2.5 mi
Battle of Germantown (approach actions)
1777Revolutionary War
2.8 mi
Battle of Whitemarsh
1777Revolutionary War
3 mi
Battle of Barren Hill (Pennsylvania)
1778Revolutionary War
3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Jenks, John Story, School listed on the National Register?

Jenks, John Story, School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 18, 1988.

What type of historic resource is Jenks, John Story, School?

Jenks, John Story, School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Jenks, John Story, School?

The period of significance for Jenks, John Story, School is recorded as the industrial era.

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