Penn
High School from a postcard in the early 1920s.
Penn High School
The Penn High School was designed by Thayer and Thayer,
architects, of New Castle Pennsylvania. It was constructed between
1917 and 1919. The building was owned by the Boro of Greenville Area
School District until September 1977 when it was sold to Zions Reformed
Church (Deed Book 78, page 48, recorded January 9, 1978 in Mercer County
Recorders office). On October 22, 1979 ownership of the property was
transferred to Greenville House Associated (Deed Book 79, p. 3878,
recorded Oct. 26, 1979 in the Mercer County Recorders office). The
building was altered in 1960 to conform to Labor and Industry
Standards. The architects and engineers for this work were Hunter,
Heiges and Gross of Sharon Pennsylvania. These alterations consisted
mainly of remodeling exits and stairways to insure safety. The
cafeteria and kitchen were remodeled and modernized in 1963 by Hunter-Heiges
Associates.
The building is brick with sandstone and terra cotta
trim. It has masonry bearing walls as well as reinforced concrete and
structural clay tile slabs. The building measures 204' 10" by
138'7". It is three stories with a full basement. The
building has a flat black top roof with a terra cotta coping. There
are two skylights, measuring 8' by 12' and 5' by 12'. Windows are
six-over-six-light and four-over-four-light double hung sash. There
are three main entrances. The most ornate is on the Main Street
elevation, below an elaborate projecting bay. All three have
identical concrete surrounds and semi-circular fanlights over the double
doors. The building has Jacobean Revival details.
The interior has plaster walls and tile ceilings. The stairways
are concrete with marble finish. The floors are hardwood.
Classroom doors are 3' by 7' with two panels and a transom.
Location:
Penn Avenue at Main Street, Greenville, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
USGS Greenville West Quadrangle Universal Transverse Mercator
Coordinates: 17.551260,45639820.
Present Owners:
Greenville House Associates
Present Occupants: Vacant
Present
Use: Vacant; to be demolished 1979
Significance:
The Jacobean Revival details displayed on this school building are unusual
in Western Pennsylvania. It served as the only high school for the
Greenville area until 1958.
Prepared
by Emily J. Harris
Historic
American Buildings Survey
HABS
No. PA-547
November 1979
Part
III. Project Information. These records are the result of
a project undertaken by the department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) in compliance with Executive Order 11593 and a Memorandum of
Agreement with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation as a
mitigative effort in the project to demolish the school for construction
of Section 8 housing for the elderly. John A. Burns, AIA, was the
HABS project coordinator. The data was prepared by Emily J. Harris,
and architectural historian in the HABS office from information compiled
by William Germanos of Crossgates, Incorporated.