National Register of Historic Places

Wissahickon Inn

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
December 6, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79002333

About this property

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (also known as SCH Academy or SCH) is an independent school in Philadelphia serving students 18 months through 18 years in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. SCH serves over 1,200 students from more than 100 ZIP codes, as well as from other countries. 40% of its students identify as people of color. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy was formed by the 2016 merger between all-girls Springside School and all-boys Chestnut Hill Academy (CHA), private early childhood through grade 12 schools on adjacent campuses. Founded in 1861, Chestnut Hill Academy was an all-male Pre-K-12 independent college preparatory school located in northwest Philadelphia. CHA was the oldest all-boys school in Greater Philadelphia. Springside was founded in 1879 by Ms. Jane Bell and Ms. Walter Comegys as a French and English boarding school for young ladies and girls. The school was located on Norwood Avenue in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Springside was initially a boarding school and attracted students from across the Northeast, particularly in New England, where most boarding schools were only for boys. There are more than 100 electives available to Upper School students, including forensics, architectural design, global economics, and multivariable calculus. There are also more than 40 student-led clubs, boards, and activities. SCH teachers have an average of 18 years of experience, and 73% of faculty hold advanced degrees. In 2012, SCH Academy established the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) to complement its core curriculum and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. Philadelphia magazine named SCH one of 19 area schools rethinking education in big and small ways for its CEL program in 2018. The center is unique in the nation in that the entrepreneurial curriculum is built into student schedules from Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12. In addition to its Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, SCH has robotics, arts & new media, outdoor education, and sustainability initiatives. SCH's FIRST Robotics Competition team competed in close to 20 FIRST Championships, finishing four times in the top 10 and winning the FIRST Chairman's Award eight times. In 2019, Team 1218, SCH's Upper School robotics team, won the FIRST World Championship. SCH was also one of the first Philadelphia independent schools to offer video production, design, and fabrication classes. Students have won awards in the Greenfield Youth Film Festival, Cappies, Scholastic Art Awards, national DiscoverDesign Competition, Philadelphia Independence Awards, and the WHYY Youth Media Awards.

Location

500 W. Willow Grove Ave.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
40.06208, -75.20845

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Druim Moir Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb
Listed
0.7 mi
Oakley, Violet, Studio
Industrial
0.7 mi
Esherick, Margaret, House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Houston, Henry H., School
Industrial
0.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown — Chew House
1777Revolutionary War
1.9 mi
Battle of Germantown
1777Revolutionary War
2.2 mi
Battle of Germantown (approach actions)
1777Revolutionary War
2.4 mi
Battle of Barren Hill (Pennsylvania)
1778Revolutionary War
3.4 mi
Battle of Whitemarsh
1777Revolutionary War
3.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Wissahickon Inn listed on the National Register?

Wissahickon Inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Wissahickon Inn?

Wissahickon Inn is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Wissahickon Inn?

The period of significance for Wissahickon Inn is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Wissahickon Inn?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Wissahickon Inn will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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