Philadelphia PA | 2014 | In Development
Consultant Team:
CICADA Architecture/Planning, Inc. | Architecture
The story of the St. James the Lesser campus is one of resurrection, renewal, hope and prosperity. Built in 1846, the site was added to the list of National Register of Historical Places in 1974 and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The church and associated school were closed in 2006 until a group of community members along with CICADA Architecture/Planning, Inc.
revitalized the campus as an innovative, holistic approach to education. The campus in West Allegheny is two parcels of land separated by West Clearfield St. The southern parcel includes the Church of St. James the Lesser and Cemetery. Since 2014, the northern parcel is the home of the St. James School, a faith-based middle school in the Episcopal tradition, committed to educating traditionally under-resourced students in a nurturing environment. According to the National Park Service’s official Statement of Significance, “This is the first example of the pure English Parish church style in America, and one of the best examples of a 19th-century American Gothic church for its coherence and authenticity of design....”
Photo credit: CICADA Architecture/Planning, Inc.