Furness High School

Horace Furness Junior High School
Horace Furness Junior High School detail, May 2010
Location 1900 S. Third St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 39°55′26″N 75°09′03″W / 39.9238°N 75.1508°W / 39.9238; -75.1508Coordinates: 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 # 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

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

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

As of 2015 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

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

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

School uniforms

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

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

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

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "SCHOOL'S FINALLY OUT FOR SUMMER STUDENTS." Philadelphia Inquirer. August 8, 1986. B01.
  3. 1 2 "Horace Furness High School Geographic Boundaries" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved on October 4, 2011.
  4. ↑ Where the Graduates Go." McCall School. Retrieved on November 9, 2008.
  5. 1 2 "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" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. 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. 1 2 3 Herold, Benjamin (2011-10-14). "At Furness High, a tough choice looms". Philadelphia Public School Notebook. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
  10. 1 2 "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.
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