Philadelphia High School for Girls 1876-1958
In 1848, The Philadelphia High School for Girls was founded. It was the first secondary school for girls in the US that was supported by a local government. It was created to “prepare teachers for the common schools of Philadelphia.” In October 1876, a new school was built at Seventeenth and Spring Garden streets. The building was comprised of forty classrooms, an assembly room, and other state of the art facilities. Fifty-seven years later, in 1933, a new school building was constructed (see image) which is still in existence today as the Julia R. Masterman school. As the Philadelphia High School for Girls continued to grow, they outgrew their location and in 1958 they moved to its current site at Broad Street and Olney Avenue.
The Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School (1958-today)
In September of 1958, the same year the Philadelphia High School for Girls left its location, the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School opened in the old building. The school was named for Julia Reynolds Masterman, who helped establish the Philadelphia Home and School Council. It was originally established as an elementary school, however the following year a junior high program was started. Seventeen years later, in 1976, a senior high school was added. In 1990, the school was reorganized to how it is structured today: a middle school and high school (grades 5-12).
- [Ground-breaking of 1932 Girls High School]. Retrieved from http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/g/girlshigh/about-us/our-history.