Bok, Edward, Vocational School
Why it's listed
Built in the mid-1930s in Philadelphia, the Bok School is a vocational school that brought a new scale of training to the city. Its architect, Irwin T. Catharine, designed the building in an Art Deco influenced style, and it is regarded as retaining a high level of integrity. Its floor plan is organised around two large central light courts, with double loaded corridors feeding from a main horizontal corridor and stairs placed at the front, rear and sides. Rooms were equipped for bricklaying, plastering and plumbing, and for elementary and advanced machine construction. The school also offered elementary and advanced tailoring in its expanded home economics program, along with men's and women's hairdressing rooms. The building's tall proportions, emphasis on verticality and detailed ornament are the main reasons for its importance. It is also the only vocational school by Catharine in the nominated thematic group, which is why its significance is tied to both architecture and education.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the school as representing a new generation of vocational schools in Philadelphia, offering both traditional woodworking and carpentry and training in newer technical fields. It argues the Art Deco influenced building retains a high level of integrity and illustrates architect Irwin T. Catharine's use of verticality and ornament in school design. It is described as the only vocational school by Catharine included in the nominated thematic group.
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 86003264, listed December 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | 1909 S. Ninth St., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | December 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003264 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-193 |
| Architect / builder | Irwin T. Catharine (architect) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco influenced |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.92588, -75.15994 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 86003264.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5345736
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.