Boekel Building
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1922-1923 to a design by architect-engineer Clarence Wunder, this six-story factory at 505-515 Vine Street in Philadelphia is a Commercial Style building of brick, terra cotta and reinforced concrete. Its massive brick piers, broad window banks and a terra cotta entrance framed with fleurs de lis and seashell motifs give it a clear industrial character. Its interior uses exposed mushroom columns carrying flat concrete floor slabs, a system that suited heavy loads and vibration-sensitive work. William Boekel & Company, a scientific instrument and laboratory equipment maker founded in 1868 as a plumbing supplies firm, occupied the lower floors and rented the upper floors to metalworking firms. The building is significant for its link to that company, which moved here after its previous plant at 518 Vine Street was demolished for the approach to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and for its reinforced concrete factory construction. The company remained in the building until 1992.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under criterion A for its association with the scientific instrument maker William Boekel & Co. and its reflection of Philadelphia industrial history. It is also significant under criterion C as an early 20th-century reinforced concrete factory by an architect known for industrial buildings, with mushroom column and slab construction that remains largely intact.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000078, listed February 20, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 505-515 Vine St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | February 20, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000078 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1952 |
| Architect / builder | Clarence Wunder (architect-engineer) |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most windows and the front door were replaced c.1992; the building was occupied by the Boekel company until 1992 and the document describes it as remarkably well preserved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.95657, -75.14784 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000078.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4937161
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.