Mary Channing Wister School
United States historic place
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mary Channing Wister School, originally the Mary Channing Wister Public School, is a historic American school building in the Poplar neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Mary Channing Wister School | |
Mary Channing Wister School entrance, August 2010 | |
  Location within Philadelphia  Location within Pennsylvania  Location within the United States | |
| Location | 843–855 N. 8th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°58′01″N 75°09′02″W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1925–1926 |
| Built by | McCloskey & Co. |
| Architect | Irwin T. Catharine |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| MPS | Philadelphia Public Schools TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002333[1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 18, 1988 |
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[1]
History and architectural features
Designed by Irwin T. Catharine, this historic structure was built between 1925 and 1926. It is a three-story, three-bay, brick building that sits on a raised basement. It was created in the Art Deco style. An addition was built in 1960. It features a freestanding portico with Doric order columns and decorative tile.[2] It is named for the civic leader Mary Channing Wister, the wife of Owen Wister.
In 2001, the building was renovated to become a new forensic science laboratory for the Philadelphia Police Department.[3] While the facade remains true to the original design with little change, the inside of the building was completely renovated and designated a Green building. The new laboratory is called the Forensic Science Center, and is operated by the Office of Forensic Science within the Philadelphia Police Department.