Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy explained

Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy
Location:	419 S. 19th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates:	39.9458°N -75.1722°W
Built:	1930
Architect:	Bissell & Sinker; Yeatman, Georgina P.
Architecture:	Art Deco
Added:	June 13, 2003
Area:	less than one acre
Refnum:	03000528

The Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy, also known as the Medical Services Building, is an historic school building which is located in the Rittenhouse Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It was designed by Georgina Pope Yeatman, who was one of only four women to be licensed as architects by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the early part of her career. Yeatman later went on to become the first woman ever to be appointed to the post as director of architecture for the city of Philadelphia, which was the third largest city in Pennsylvania during the 1930s.^{[1] [2]}

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

History and architectural features

A three-story, five-bay, U-shaped brown brick building, which was designed in the Art Deco style by Georgina Pope Yeatman^[3] of the Bissell & Sinkler architecture firm, the Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy was built in 1930 as a two-story building. A third story was added in 1939.^[4]

The front facade features sculptural iron panels, sandstone carvings, and two-story brick pilasters with decorative caps. The Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy occupied the building into the late-1950s, after which it housed medical offices associated with the University of Pennsylvania.^[5] It has been converted to apartments.

Notable alumni of the school included Kamala Nimbkar and Muriel Zimmerman. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

See also

• Helen S. Willard
• Georgina Pope Yeatman

Notes and References

1. "Philadelphia's First Woman Cabinet Member." St. Louis, Missouri: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 12, 1936, p. 61 (subscription required).
2. "Girl Is Philadelphia's Flying City Architect." St. Petersburg, Florida: St. Petersburg Times, February 6, 1937, p. 27 (subscription required).
3. "Philadelphia's First Woman Cabinet Member," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 12, 1936, p. 61.
4. Web site: National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania. CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Searchable database. Note: This includes Web site: [{{NRHP-PA|H118969.pdf}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy]. 2012-06-16. Cynthia Rose Hamilton. PDF. December 2002.
5. Web site: National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania. CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Searchable database. Note: This includes Web site: [{{NRHP-PA|H118969.pdf}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy]. 2012-06-16. Cynthia Rose Hamilton. PDF. December 2002.