Washington Education Center (Pittsburgh)

Washington Education Center is a former vocational school in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Lawrenceville at 40th Street and Eden Way.

Washington Education Center
Address
169 40th St.

Pittsburgh
,
Pennsylvania
15216

United States
Information
TypePublic
EstablishedSeptember 1, 1937[1]
Opened1937
Closed2006
School districtPittsburgh Public Schools
Grades9–12
Website40.4695°N 79.9628°W / 40.4695; -79.9628
Washington Vocational School
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1908
ArchitectCharles W. Bier, Marion M. Steen
Architectural styleLate Victorian, Art Deco
Part ofLawrenceville Historic District[2] (ID100004020)
MPSPittsburgh Public Schools TR
NRHP reference No.86002715[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 30, 1986
Designated CPJuly 8, 2019
Designated PHLF2002[4]

The former Washington Polytec Academy is where Washington Elementary School with a history that spanned from 1868 until 1935 once stood. Originally named Washington Number One, the school was renamed to honor George Washington crossing of the Allegheny River with Christopher Gist. A marker on the school notes the event. A structure was constructed on the site in 1908 and in 1936 was expanded to form the Washington Trade School. The Charles W. Bier designed structure opened on September 1, 1937.[5] From 1937 until the early 21st century it served as a public vocational school[6] capable of accommodating 900 students and included a testing laboratory, bricklaying shop, print shop, library, two drafting rooms, blue print shop, mimeograph room, and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 384.

On February 2, 1972 Julie Nixon Eisenhower visited the school during her fathers re-election campaign to discuss busing.[7] In May 1972, an international contingent of students visited the center from Brazil, Thailand, South Korea, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Afghanistan, and Libya.[8]

The school building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[3] The building was used as a school until 2006 and later sold with plans to be converted to a hotel.[9] It opened in 2019 as the TRYP by Wyndham Pittsburgh/Lawrenceville, with 108 guest rooms and two restaurants.[10]

References
  1. http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?view=entry;cc=hpichswp;entryid=x-msp117.b017.f10.i04
  2. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Lawrenceville Historic District" (PDF). City of Pittsburgh. National Park Service. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  4. Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-28.
  5. http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?view=entry;cc=hpichswp;entryid=x-msp117.b017.f10.i04
  6. http://www.lhs15201.org/articles_b.asp?ID=83
  7. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=djft3U1LymYC&dat=19720202&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
  8. http://images.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/i/image/image-idx?view=entry;cc=hpichswp;entryid=x-msp117.b007.f05.i04
  9. Schooley, Tim (June 5, 2015). "New buyer looking at Lawrenceville school for hotel conversion". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  10. Pitz, Marylynne (June 5, 2019). "Vocation to vacation: How a trade school became a TRYP hotel". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 2, 2019.


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