Furness High School

United States historic place

Horace Howard Furness High School

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Furness High School (Detail, May 2010)

Location in Philadelphia

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Location in Pennsylvania

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Location in United States

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Location| 1900 S. Third St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19148
Coordinates| 39°55′26″N 75°09′03″W﻿ / ﻿39.9238°N 75.1508°W﻿ / 39.9238; -75.1508
Area| 2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built| 1914
Built by| Cramp & Co.
Architect| Henry deCourcy Richards
Architectural style| Late Gothic Revival, Academic Gothic
MPS| Philadelphia Public Schools TR
NRHP reference No.| 86003286[1]
Added to NRHP| December 1, 1986

Horace Howard Furness High School is a secondary (9th-12th) school in South Philadelphia. It is part of the School District of Philadelphia.[2]

Portions of South Philadelphia (including Bella Vista, Passyunk Square, Pennsport, Queen Village, and Whitman) are zoned to Furness.[3] A section of Center City, including Society Hill and Old City, was formerly zoned to Furness for high school.[4]

## History

[edit]

It was originally built as an elementary school, with construction starting in 1913 and ending in 1914; it later became Horace Furness Junior High School. It was named for Shakespearean scholar Horace Howard Furness (1833–1912).[5]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Horace Furness Junior High School in 1986.[1] It was later converted into a senior high school, and its first high school graduation was held in 1991.[5]

In 2012 Daniel Peou, a Cambodian American man who was once a refugee and had lived in Philadelphia, became the principal of Furness.[6]

## Architecture

[edit]

The school building was designed by Henry deCourcy Richards and built by Cramp & Co. It is a four-story, rectangular, reinforced concrete building clad in brick and terra cotta in the Late Gothic Revival-style. It features an oversized arched entryway, blind panels, terra cotta quoining, and a brick parapet.[7]

## Student body

[edit]

As of 2015[update] the school had 694 students. These students used over 25 different languages.[8]

In 2000 the school had about 1,200 students. In the 2009-2010 school year the school had 673 students, with 40% being African-American and 38% being Asian.[9]

Benjamin Herold of the Philadelphia Public School Notebook stated that Furness was largely free of racial tensions.[9]

## Academic performance

[edit]

In regards to Pennsylvania's state achievement tests, of 11th graders at Furness, the percentages of students meeting the standard or higher were 43% in reading and 58% in mathematics. In terms of Philadelphia's comprehensive schools these percentages were higher than the average.[9]

## Transportation

[edit]

SEPTA routes 29, 57 and 79 serve Furness.[10]

## School uniforms

[edit]

Furness requires its students to wear school uniforms. Students may wear a gray shirt that must have a collar on it with black pants.[11]

## Feeder patterns

[edit]

K-8 schools feeding into Furness include:[12]

* Fanny Jackson Coppin School (formerly Andrew Jackson School)
* Eliza Butler Kirkbride School
* William M. Meredith School
* George W. Nebinger School
* George Sharswood School
* John H. Taggart School
* Vare-Washington School (formerly Abigail Vare School and George Washington School)

Previously George A. McCall School in Society Hill fed Furness High.[3][10][13]

## See also

[edit]

* Philadelphia portal
* Pennsylvania portal
* Schools portal

* Horace Howard Furness

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ "SCHOOL'S FINALLY OUT FOR SUMMER STUDENTS." Philadelphia Inquirer. August 8, 1986. B01.
3. ^ a b Horace Furness High School Geographic Boundaries (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved on October 4, 2011.
4. ^ Where the Graduates Go Archived 2009-06-21 at the Wayback Machine." McCall School. Retrieved on November 9, 2008.
5. ^ a b "Furness fosters a diverse story". South Philly Review. 2014-06-09. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
6. ^ Myers, Joseph. "Peou returns to head Furness" (Archive). September 13, 2012. Retrieved on December 1, 2015.
7. ^ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania". CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2005-09-14. Retrieved 2012-07-07. Note: This includes unknown (n.d.). "Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey Form: Horace Furness Junior High School" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-07-03.
8. ^ Hill, Chanel (2015-01-20). "Furness prepares students to be ambassadors of community". Philadelphia Tribune. p. A4.
9. ^ a b c Herold, Benjamin (2011-10-14). "At Furness High, a tough choice looms". The Philadelphia Public School Notebook. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
10. ^ a b "A Directory of High Schools for 2009 Admissions" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. p. 15 (PDF p/ 17/40). Accessed November 6, 2008.
11. ^ "School Uniform Requirements Archived 2009-04-05 at the Wayback Machine." School District of Philadelphia.
12. ^ "High School Directory Fall 2017 Admissions" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. p. 32/70. Retrieved on November 16, 2016.
13. ^ "School Finder." School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved on November 30, 2015.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Furness High School.

* Official website
* Furness High School at the Wayback Machine (archived September 13, 2017) - 2017
* Furness High School at the Wayback Machine (archive index) - 2001-2007
* Furness High School at the Wayback Machine (archive index) - 1997-2002

* v
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South Philadelphia

Sections and
Neighborhoods|

* Bella Vista
* Central South Philadelphia
* Devil's Pocket
* Dickinson Square West
* East Passyunk Crossing
* Fabric Row
* FDR Park
* Girard Estate
* Graduate Hospital / Southwest Center City
* Grays Ferry
* Hawthorne
* Italian Market
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* Pennsport
* Point Breeze
* Queen Village
* Schuylkill
* Southwark
* Sports Complex
* West Passyunk
* Wharton
* Whitman
* Wilson Park

Education|

| Public
K-12|

| Current|

* Universal Audenried Charter HS
* CAPA HS
* Furness HS
* GAMP
* South Philadelphia HS
* Universal Alcorn K-8
* F. Amadee Bregy K-8
* G. W. Childs K-8 ex-Jeremiah Nichols, Barratt MS
* D. Newlin Fell K-8
* Andrew Jackson K-8
* Eliza Butler Kirkbride K-8
* Delaplaine McDaniel K-8
* William M. Meredith K-8
* George W. Nebinger K-8
* George Sharswood K-8
* Southwark K-8
* Edwin M. Stanton K-8
* Universal Vare K-8
* Vare-Washington K-8 Ex-Washington school
* Francis Scott Key ES Formerly K-8

|

Former|

* Ex-Childs school
* David Landreth
* William S. Peirce K-8, then middle school
* Ex-Vare school
* Wayne

Private
K-12|

| Current|

* Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic HS

|

Former|

* Saint John Neumann HS
* Saint Maria Goretti HS
* St. Anthony de Padua Parish

Sports Complex|

* 2300 Arena
* Citizens Bank Park
* Lincoln Financial Field
* Wells Fargo Center
* Xfinity Live!

| Demolished|

* John F. Kennedy Stadium
* Spectrum
* Veterans Stadium

|

Other landmarks|

* Congregation Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel
* Franklin Hose Company No. 28
* Geno's Steaks
* Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church
* Grays Road Recreation Center
* Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
* Marian Anderson House
* Pat's King of Steaks
* Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Freight Shed
* Royal Theater
* St. Anthony de Padua Parish School
* St Nicholas of Tolentine Church
* Tindley Temple United Methodist Church
* Tony Luke's
* Walt Whitman Bridge
* Mount Sinai Hospital (demolished)

Culture|

* Odunde Festival

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Schools in Philadelphia

School District of Philadelphia

5-12 schools|

* Girard Academic Music Program
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6-12 schools|

* Penn Treaty School (neighborhood)

7-12 schools|

* Carver Engineering and Science

Neighborhood
high schools|

* Bartram
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* Samuel S. Fels
* Frankford
* Benjamin Franklin
* Furness
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Alternative
high schools|

* Bodine for International Affairs
* The U School (Building 21)
* Central
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* Franklin Learning Center
* High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA)
* High School for Girls
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* Philadelphia Military Academy
* Robeson for Human Services
* Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush
* W.B. Saul (Saul of Agricultural Sciences)
* Swenson Arts and Technology
* U School

K-8 schools|

* Alcorn
* Ethan Allen
* Bache-Martin
* Rudolph Blankenburg
* F. Amadee Bregy
* G.W. Childs (Barratt Junior High)
* Hamilton Disston
* James Dobson
* D. Newlin Fell
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* Charles W. Henry
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* S. Weir Mitchell
* Andrew J. Morrison
* George W. Nebinger
* Olney
* Roosevelt
* George Sharswood
* Southwark
* Spring Garden
* Edwin M. Stanton
* Vare-Washington

Middle schools|

* A.M.Y. at James Martin
* AMY Northwest
* Castor Gardens
* Conwell Middle Magnet
* Dimner Beeber (Science Leadership Academy at Beeber)
* Paul Lawrence Dunbar
* Warren G. Harding
* M.Y.A. for the Humanities
* William T. Tilden
* Gen. Louis Wagner

Elementary schools|

* Joseph H. Brown
* Laura H. Carnell
* Lewis C. Cassidy Academics Plus
* Joseph W. Catharine
* Kennedy Crossan Academics Plus
* Emlen
* Edwin Forrest
* Julia Ward Howe
* Francis Scott Key
* James Logan
* James R. Lowell
* Ludlow
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* Alexander K. McClure
* Overbrook
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* Joseph Pennell
* Samuel W. Pennypacker
* Richmond
* William Rowen
* Philip H. Sheridan
* James J. Sullivan
* Bayard Taylor
* Frances E. Willard

| Former high schools/
6-12 schools|

* Edward W. Bok Technical
* Charles Carroll
* Communications Technology (George Wolf)
* Stephen A. Douglas
* Thomas FitzSimons
* Germantown
* Robert E. Lamberton
* William Penn
* Thaddeus Stevens
* University City
* Roberts Vaux Promise Academy
* Young Women's Leadership School at Rhodes

|

Former K-8/middle/
elementary schools|

* Charles Y. Audenried
* William W. Axe
* George L. Brooks
* George W. Childs (former building)
* Watson Comly
* Mary Disston
* Francis M. Drexel
* Thomas Dunlap
* Joseph C. Ferguson
* Robert Fulton
* Germantown Grammar
* Elizabeth Duane Gillespie
* William B. Hanna
* Nathaniel Hawthorne
* Holmes
* George L. Horn (Sheridan West Academy)
* John L. Kinsey
* David Landreth
* Henry Longfellow
* Mechanicsville
* Thomas Meehan
* William S. Peirce
* Anna B. Pratt
* Thomas Powers
* Robert Ralston
* Samuel J. Randall
* Thomas Buchanan Read
* General John F. Reynolds
* Charles Schaeffer
* Walter G. Smith
* Spring Garden School No. 1
* M. Hall Stanton
* Abigail Vare
* Rudolph Walton
* George Washington
* Anthony Wayne
* John G. Whittier
* David Wilmot
* Alexander Wilson
* Mary Channing Wister
* Richardson L. Wright

Other schools

Roman Catholic Archdiocese|

* Archbishop Ryan
* Father Judge
* J. W. Hallahan
* Little Flower
* Mercy Career & Technical
* Nazareth Academy
* Roman Catholic
* St. Hubert
* St. Joseph's Preparatory
* St. Malachy
* Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti
* West Catholic

Other private schools|

* Al-Aqsa Islamic
* Cedar Grove Christian
* Friends Select
* Germantown Friends
* Girard College
* Greene Street Friends
* Overbrook School for the Blind
* William Penn
* Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
* Philadelphia Free School
* Philadelphia Mennonite
* Politz Hebrew
* Springside Chestnut Hill
* St. Peter's

Former private schools|

* St. Anthony de Padua Parish

Public charter schools|

* Arts and Sciences
* Belmont
* Boys' Latin
* Simon Gratz
* Hope
* Imhotep Institute
* MaST Community
* Mastery Mann Elementary (William B. Mann)
* Mastery Shoemaker Campus (William Shoemaker)
* Mastery Thomas Campus (George C. Thomas)
* Mathematics, Civics and Sciences
* Memphis Street
* Smedley
* Universal Alcorn
* Universal Audenried
* Universal Creighton
* Universal Vare
* Hardy Williams (Anna Howard Shaw)

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