The Board of Education Building, also known as the Board of Education Administration Building, is a historic building in the
Logan Square Logan Square may refer to:
* Logan Square, Chicago, a neighborhood on the north side of the city
* Logan Circle (Philadelphia) or Logan Square, a park in Philadelphia
**Logan Square, Philadelphia
Logan Square is a neighborhood in Philadelphia. Bou ...
neighborhood of
Philadelphia. As the long-time headquarters of what is now the
School District of Philadelphia, it was a center of the city's educational system. It was completed in 1932. In recent years, it has been converted to residential use.
The Board of Education Building was added in 1983 to the
National Register of Historic Places.
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Design
The building's design was selected by jury. Its style is a combination of Art Deco and Classical Revival, commonly known as Moderne . It was part of an early revitalization scheme for the city that resulted in the building of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Bas relief sculptures on educational themes are incorporated into the building. These were first sketched by the architect Irwin T. Catharine
Irwin Thornton Catharine (October 22, 1883 – March 3, 1944) was the chief architect of Philadelphia Public school (government funded), public schools from 1920 until his retirement in 1937. Buildings built during Catharine's tenure ranged from ...
, then executed in plaster by Jules Melidon, before being sculpted by the stone cutters. Melidon reportedly was in Europe while they were being sculpted and installed, and sued Catharine and the Board of Education upon his return.Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...
, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, John Marshall
John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...
* ''East side'': Robert Fulton, Russell Conwell
Russell Herman Conwell (February 15, 1843 – December 6, 1925) was an American Baptist minister, orator, philanthropist, author, lawyer, and writer. He is best remembered as the founder and first president of Temple University in Philadelphi ...
, Horace Mann, William Penn
* ''West side'': Isaac Newton, George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
, Bayard Taylor
Bayard Taylor (January 11, 1825December 19, 1878) was an American poet, literary critic, translator, travel author, and diplomat. As a poet, he was very popular, with a crowd of more than 4,000 attending a poetry reading once, which was a record ...
, Stephen Girard
Stephen Girard (May 20, 1750 – December 26, 1831; born Étienne Girard) was a naturalized American citizen, philanthropist, and banker of French origin. He singularly saved the U.S. government from financial collapse during the War of 1812 b ...
Gallery
File:Philly Board of Education.JPG, View from southeast
File:BoardOfEdNorth2cropped.jpg, North elevation and main entrance
File:BoardOfEdSouthwest.jpg, View from southwest
File:BoardOfEdNorthCropped.jpg, View from across the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, showing the building in context between the Franklin Institute and the Cira Centre
File:BoardOfEdEntry.jpg, Main entrance
File:BoardOfEd21stDoor.jpg, 21st Street entrance
File:BoardOfEdServiceEntrance.jpg, The designation of this door onto Spring Street a "service entrance" is quite literally carved in stone.
File:BoardOfEdHallway.jpg, Interior hallway
References
External links
Listing and photographs
at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
2100 Parkway Apartments
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia
Neoclassical architecture in Pennsylvania
Government buildings completed in 1930
Moderne architecture in Pennsylvania
Logan Square, Philadelphia