Why can't historic schools continue to serve their communities as places of education?
Over the years. many fine educational buildings have been converted to offices, apartments, senior citizen housing, and other new uses. Many historical significant school shave been lost or are at risk because a new use cannot be found and because they have been deemed unfit for continued educational use.
Arthur Ziegler, President of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and a nationally recognized leader in the preservation movement, recently approached Preservation Pennsylvania for our assistance in questioning the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) guidelines that have resulted in the abandonment of countless schools across the commonwealth.
This special issue of Pennsylvania at Risk features historic school buildings threatened by policies that discourage preservation and encourage abandonment and demolition. Recent discussions involving Preservation Pennsylvania, concerned citizens, the PDE and the Governor's office have initiated a review of PDE guidelines that put historic school buildings at risk. Our goal is to level the playing field to give historic school buildings a chance to continue to serve their communities as places of learning.
While our primary focus is on schools currently threatened by policies of the Department of Education, we also include in this year's endangered list examples of former school buildings threatened by neglect, abandonment, development pressures, and other government policies.
Recently, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks discovered "guidelines" of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) that powerfully and negatively affect local school districts in decisionmaking about the reuse of existing school buildings, many of which are neighborhood schools and many of which are architecturally significant.
First, the PDE is opposed to almost all "ordinary construction". This means that any school of more than one story that has interior wood framing does not qualify for state reimbursement if the school district wishes to restore it for continued use.
This flies in the face of local building codes and the state labor and industry codes and national (BOCA) building codes, all of which indicate that two- and three-story buildings, with up-to-date sprinkler systems and appropriate enclosed fire stairs, are safe to use. In fact, our Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry code permits the use of a two-story "ordinary construction" building for educational use if the fire rating on the building is one-hour and totally protected by an automatic system.
To check out this safety issue, Landmarks and Preservation Pennsylvania commissioned a study by Landmark Design Associates of Pittsburgh that included an analysis of the "fire incidents" in public schools throughout the United States.
The findings show that , of 6,200 fire incidents recorded by the U.S. Fire Administration in elementary and secondary schools for the years of 1991 through 1995, there was no correlation between the construction type and the number of injuries sustained. In fact, the Fire Administration's five-year study indicated that both "protected ordinary construction" and "unprotected ordinary construction" scored similarly with 3 and 3.5 injuries per 100 incidents respectively. The score for "fire resistive construction", the most resistive type of construction possible, was 3.8 injuries per 100 incidents.
The PDE has said that it has made exceptions for building on the National Register of Historic Places, but why would listing in the National Register make a building more fire safe than a non-listed but reusable building?
The second "guideline" is what is commonly know as the 20/60 rule. Under this arrangement, no school renovation project is eligible for reimbursement where the cost for the renovation (excluding the cost for asbestos abatement, roof replacement, and site development) exceeds 60% of the replacement value.
This peculiar guideline results in local school districts being forced to abandon their historic neighborhood school buildings in order to build new ones. Because new school buildings must meet the new PDE standards requiring larger acreage around them, former school sites must be abandoned as well. No longer can a school function by standing in a neighborhood or being located as a part of an architectural continuum along a street, but it must be set back and surrounded with open land, much like a Wal-Mart.
The State Historic Preservation Office has said that school abandonment and resulting demolition is the number one problem for abandonment of buildings listed on the National Register statewide.
You can easily see the impact of the PDE guidelines on Allegheny County school buildings. An initial inventory completed by Landmarks shows that 74% of the school buildings in Allegheny County were built before 1950, and many will have trouble qualifying for reuse.
Caroline Boyce, executive director of Preservation Pennsylvania recently said, "Schools are first in the number of building demolished across the Commonwealth .... At a time when building livable communities is the goal of so many community economic development strategies and programs, we believe the PDE needs to make some policy changes."
The Landmarks Design Associates study confirmed the PDE guidelines are the major contributors to school abandonment: "The Pennsylvania Department of Education's prohibition against providing reimbursement for the rehabilitation of schools based solely on the use of a single construction material denies school districts the ability to rehabilitate Pennsylvania's existing school buildings. Many of them have historic or cultural value to their districts, meet all local and state building codes and fulfill the district's educational requirements. In addition, their rehabilitation may cost less than demolition and new construction."
The PDE guidelines are in conflict with the policies state be the governor. In fact, the governor has issued and Urban Opportunities policy statement and page 43 calls for the reuse of existing facilities. Furthermore, Article One, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution state that the people of this Commonwealth have the right to preservation of the natural scenic, historic and aesthetic value of the environment in our towns and cities.
Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. is president of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. He also serves on the board of directors of Preservation Pennsylvania. The above article is reprinted from PHLF News, March 1998.
NOTE: Listed below are picture and descriptions of schools that were profiled in Pennsylvania at Risk 1998. A more complete list of endangered schools can be obtained by clicking here.
The original portion of Ridley Senior High School (Ridley Township, Delaware County) with its imposing neoclassical-inspired facade, was constructed in 1934.
Plans for a new high school include demolition of the 1934 section of the building for parking. A group of residents within the the school district have organized the Citizens Forum of Ridley School District to call for reconsideration of both the new building and demolition of the 1934 structure.
The group believes the building can be renovated for continued educational use.
Significance
Hazleton High School, also known as "The Castle on the Hill", is one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Built in 1928 in the collegiate Gothic style with elaborate medieval style towers and concrete parapets, the building is now used as a junior high school with an enrollment of six hundred students.
Threat
The school suffers from years of deferred maintenance that has resulted in water penetration, problems with an outdated heating/air conditioning/ventilating system, serious structural problems and uneven wood floors caused by excess moisture from broken heating pipes. When a section of the concrete parapet above the building's main entrance fell and struck a parent, the school board met to consider whether to undertake repairs to the building or to demolish all or part of the structure.
The board's decision to demolish the building has met with opposition from the city's mayor, Michael Marsicano, who has refused to issue a permit to remove the deteriorated facade. Other opponents of demolition have rallied to save the building and to call for funding for its repair and rehabilitation. Jean Gormley, president of the Greater Hazleton Historical Society, describes the building as a "victim of deliberate neglect." She points to the preservation of the Markle Building (Pennsylvania at Risk 1997) and says, "It was in far worse condition than the high school." Gormley credits two new school board members with questioning claims that the building is beyond repair and bringing in contractors to reassess the condition. Others on the school board remain adamant in their call for demolition and construction of a new building.
The community is polarized over the issue; and, in a time of limited financial resources, preservation is seen by some as in opposition to the need for improved technology and other upgrades to the educational curriculum.
Based on a study commissioned by the Pittsburgh Board of Public Education, a 10-year capital development strategy plan calls for the closing of nine neighborhood schools, suggests the closing or demolition of four others, with three additional facilities scheduled to be renovated. The majority of those scheduled to close will be replaced with new facilities. Among the schools to be closed are the following, each of which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of a thematic nomination of city schools:
The classically inspired Sterrett School is the focal point of this Point Breeze neighborhood. Opened in 1899, it was named for James Patterson Sterrett (1822-1901), a local jurist who served for twenty years as a school director in the cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny.
The twelve-room school is interesting not only for its impressive architecture, but also for the patronage of its wealthy neighbors. Henry Clay Frick's son, Childs Frick, attended Sterrett, and H.C. Frick contributed to the school's library, which, with over 3,000 volumes, was considered one of the most complete school libraries in America at the turn of the century.
Architecturally, Sterrett is also noteworthy for the fine natural illumination provided by large windows, for its stained glass, and for its uniquely progressive elements that included an observatory and auditorium with full stage. The closing or demolition of Sterrett is suggested in the recent Board of Education study.
McCleary School has served the Lawrenceville section of the city since 1900. Built when this part of Pittsburgh was rapidly gaining a working-class population because of the opening of the nearby Lucy and Isabella blast furnaces, the school is notable for its central open space ringed by classrooms. The two-story rotunda was originally topped by a stained glass dome which has been removed. On the exterior, a flat roof has replaced the original hipped roof.
In spite of changes, the building retains much of its fine original detailing. On the exterior, the second floor has distinctive rounded arch windows detailed with Ionic columns and Florentine tracery; a beltcourse with wave motif separates the stories. On the interior, entries have floors of decorative circular tile; elaborate door surrounds, cast iron balustrades with swags and medallions, and newel posts with lion heads are among other significant interior details. The building is scheduled to be replaced with a new elementary school.
The impressive 1941 Art Deco addition to the Letsche School is the work of Marion M. Steen, staff architect for the Pittsburgh Board of Public Education between 1935 and 1954. Steen was the architect of many Pittsburgh schools, but his design for Letsche is considered one of his most significant accomplishments.
The original section of the school was constructed in 1905.
Letsche School is scheduled to close. Students will be relocated to another facility and the building will be sold.
Significance
Following a national trend toward school consolidations, construction of the F.D. Roosevelt School in Claysburg in 1934 signaled the end of a century old tradition of one and two room school houses for this rural community just south of Altoona.
Construction of the school was made possible by New Deal programs established during the 1930s to help the country recover from the Great Depression, and the school stands as an example of the significant impact these programs had on so many small communities. The Civil Works Administration (CWA) built the original section of the school; the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the 1939 auditorium/gymnasium, and the Public Works Administration (PWA) built a 1941 addition. These historic sections of the complex are of wood frame construction faced with local cut sandstone. To the north of the historic portion of the building are additions from 1954 and 1969.
Threat
In a recent feasibility study prepared for the Claysburg-Kimmel School Board, a number of options were presented for the district's facilities. For the junior high school, options range from renovations that would keep all or some of the existing building to a plan to demolish the entire complex and build new. Project costs range from a minimum of $4.6 million for renovations to a minimum of $14.2 million for a totally new building. Two renovation options that include demolition of the Roosevelt School would cost a minimum of $10.2 million.
The school board proposes to renovate the school and is seeking historic designation for the building in the hopes of obtaining a waiver from the Pennsylvania Department of Education that would grant them reimbursement.
Significance
Downingtown Junior High School, originally used as a junior-senior high school, was opened in 1932. The three story building is constructed of masonry exterior walls, steel and wood framed floors, and a wood framed roof. Additions to the building were made in 1952 and 1977.
Threat
The Downingtown Area School District proposal to construct a new middle school brought into question the fate of the junior high school. A feasibility study commissioned in 1997 by the district offered a number of options, including reusing the building for educational or other purposes, or demolishing the structure and using the lot for a new building or parking.
For the time being, the building is being used as a 9th grade school. According to Gilbert Lappano, director of facilities, this use is projected to continue until the year 2002, at which time the district will review the situation and make a further determination on the future of the building.
Significance
In the opening years of the twentieth century, Meadville was a prosperous, growing community. Spirella Corset, the Hookless Fastener (Talon zippers), Erie Railroad headquarters, Keystone View, several forging and heavy castings manufacturers such as Page Boiler Works and Meadville Malleable, not only created full employment but raised the skills and educational levels required from employees. By 1910, a decision was made to build a new high school on the city's central commons area known as Diamond Park. The school was completed in 1921.
Designed in the collegiate Gothic style popular in the 1920s, the building's H-shape plan included an auditorium, two gyms for physical education and extramural sports, a spacious library, shop and domestic arts spaces, and classrooms. A court area faced the Diamond, around which stand the courthouse, the public library, the armory, four churches, and several mansions.
Threat
In the 1950s, with increased enrollments due to regionalization, the school was made the junior high school and a new senior high school was built on the eastern boundary of the city. In the past decade, the school board voted to build a new junior high school as well, which meant the closing of the building on Diamond Park. There is local concern that the school board may sell the building to a developer with plans to tear it down and replace it with a retail/office structure. Community support for finding a use for the building is growing and the Meadville Area Coalition is leading the search for a preservation oriented developer to offer a viable alternative.
Significance
Milton Shavely Hershey had great faith in the youth of America and wanted to give the best in education to the children of Derry Township, the home of his chocolate-making empire. In 1914 he funded the entire construction of the Hershey Consolidated School, which combined a number of small, isolated schools into one large educational institution.
In 1925 Hershey added a Junior/Senior High School, and in 1929 the complex was completed with the addition of a vocational school. Built without the use of taxpayer money and with all of the most modern facilities of the time, the buildings form a great semi-circle on Granada Avenue in Derry Township.
Threat
Through the years these buildings have undergone various changes in both appearance and function. The original Junior/Senior High School is now the rehabilitated Middle School with the additions of both a new high school and new elementary school. While these changes are positive, the Consolidated School, the first M.S. Hershey School, is threatened.
The building is no longer used for classes. It is now vacant with the exception of a few spaces being rented to nonprofit organizations and use by the school district for maintenance and grounds keeping.
There have been proposals for the rehabilitation of the building into condominiums or offices with a community center; but, to date, no decision has been reached.
Significance
Located in the Jersey Shore Historic District, the Broad Street School is a two and a half story, vernacular style, brick masonry building constructed in 1885 with a two and a half story addition added in 1905. The school served the educational need of the community for ninety-five years despite numerous floods from the Susquehanna River. Closed as a school in 1970, the building was used as offices for the Jersey Shore Area School District until 1996. The historic district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Threat
Since 1996 the school has sat vacant despite efforts to sell the building by the Jersey Shore Area School Board and the Borough of Jersey Shore. A potential buyer is interested in rehabilitating it into 24-30 units of affordable senior citizen housing.
The site, however, presents a problem because it lies within the Susquehanna River's 100-year flood plain. The development of this project must meet the Borough of Jersey Shore's Flood Plain Management Plan, which is based of FEMA regulations in order to qualify for the National Flood Insurance Program.
As part of FEMA regulations, all work within the flood plain is subject to FEMA's "Substantial Improvement Clause", but because the school is located in a National Register Historic District and has been determined a "historic structure" under FEMA regulations 44CFR 1 section 59.1, the potential buyer is requesting a variance from this clause. As part of the proposed rehabilitation, the developer would utilize methods of "wet-flood proofing" in order to minimize any potential damage to the building in the event of 100-year flood. It is now up to FEMA whether this school gets a second chance to serve its community.
Brentwood, Allegheny County
In 1995, Ron Yochum, who is on the staff of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF), was elected to the school board in Brentwood on a platform that called for renovation rather than abandonment of three historic school buildings in the community. A plan to consolidate K-12 programs in a new building would have meant the closure of neighborhood schools and increased taxes.
The process of rehabilitating the Brentwood schools was worth the fight. By rehabilitating two schools instead of building a new one, taxpayers saved $3.5 million and no tax increase was required. However, because of the Department of Education guidelines, all "ordinary construction" had to be removed from the buildings and substituted with steel - even though the buildings met all building code requirements with their original wood frame construction. The estimated total cost over the life of the bond for this unnecessary bureaucratic requirement is over $1 million.
Yochum's efforts led directly to PHLF's involvement in the issue of school rehabilitations and to discussions with the Department of Education to correct their anti-preservation policy.
Wellsville, York County
When the Preservation Fund of Pennsylvania provided financial assistance to convert the William Wells Young Memorial School into offices in 1985, no one could guess that within ten years the building would be purchased by the Northern York School District and returned to educational use. With minor modifications, made in consultation with Preservation Pennsylvania and Bureau for Historic Preservation, the 1907 building once again serves the students of northern York County as an elementary school.
Scranton, Lackawanna County
Scranton Central High School remained vacant from its closing as a high school in 1989 until 1994 when it reopened as Lackawanna Junior College. Renovation of the imposing Gothic Revival building for a new era in its contribution to the educational community of Scranton continues, with work on the auditorium to be undertaken this year.
In discussions with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Preservation Pennsylvania is recommending the following changes to PDE's Basic Education Circular (BEC) on school construction reimbursement criteria:
You can go on record in support of the above changes by sending a letter (sample text below), with any personal statements or information, to:
Mr. Don Lunday
Deputy Secretary for Administration
Department of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126
Re: Reimbursement Criteria for Rehabilitation of Existing Schools
Dear Mr. Lunday:
Retaining neighborhood schools can play a major role in keeping older communities alive and pedestrian friendly, and in curtailing the spread of sprawl.
I am pleased to hear that the Department of Education has been considering changes to the Basic Education Circular (BEC) concerning School Construction Reimbursement Criteria. I am hopeful that the department will adopt new BEC language that will result in a more equitable reimbursement process for communities that wish to rehabilitate and continue to use their older existing school buildings. To that end, I am recommending that the department adopt the changes to the BEC that were recommended by Preservation Pennsylvania in their letter to you of April 28, 1998. I believe that these changes will provide a more level playing field for those communities seeking to rehabilitate existing older school buildings, particularly those that are historic, without compromise to safety or quality of the learning environment.
Sincerely,
Your Signature and name/