All rights reserved (About Us). The group went there excited to relive old memories, but left feeling like the building they toured was nothing like their beloved alma mater. Bok Tech, once having 873 students according to U.S. News & World Report, now has zero. This is the school portrayed in the TV show "The Goldbergs", Nah, Goldbergs are a Philly area family & Harrisburg's about 2 hours away. TWO SECURE UP -- TO SECURE A BUILDING LIKE THIS SO IT DOESN. The United States Postal Service commemorative stamps of five historic railroad stations, including the 1874 Tamaqua station, can be preordered, a service spokesman said Monday. This school sat on a beautiful campus that held five buildings that were all connected by bridges. William Penn High School, where someone fired a gun inside a boys' bathroom on the second floor on Tuesday (Jan. 10, 2023). Skip to content. There was a three-story rock wall in the gym where basketball games were held. Come Take a Journey with Us! In those days, the public school systems were so advanced, Morrison said. The 34-year-old real estate agent . Closed. This does not mean that a brighter future for William Penn High School is out of reach. Modified Instructional Day - Early Dismissal 12:00pm. Communications held classes for web design, desktop publishing, photography, television editing, television broadcasting, computer science, newspaper editing, CISCO classes, etc. A school resource officer at William Penn High School along East Basin Road in New Castle was made aware of "a potential gunshot inside of a second-floor bathroom at the school" around 11:40 a.m . When you do walk inside the building, there are skids of books with the wrapping still on them, Turman said. Included in the building would be an indoor stadium, classrooms, an enclosed track and offices. The fields are still used by Camp Curtin middle school, which abuts the William Penn property to the east. Board member Danielle Robinson asked if the district had a cost or consideration to clean out the building in order to property mothball it, even if re-use was many years off. Dee was a graduate of William Penn High School where she was the Head Majorette . 0:46. of 3. View Full Report Card. Abandoned William Penn School in Harrisburg. View the 22-23 William Penn varsity basketball team schedule. Monday. Press J to jump to the feed. The building has been abandoned for more than a decade. A ping pong and tennis room and state of the art gym equipment was available to the students. According to state test scores, 21% of students are at least proficient in math and 34% in reading. An unsettling atmosphere permeates throughout the abandoned William Penn High School. When these buildings are left empty, they are often forgotten by the always rushing eyes of humans, breaking down and welcoming nature into their walls until the Earth finally reclaims them. We are excited to be chasing Blue Hen Championships in Boy's basketball and Wrestling. He remembers an indoor courtyard and a grandiose auditorium with a balcony. [8] Athletic activities were scheduled to begin on the former Penn site in October 2016.[10]. Our hearts go out to the victims family and everyone impacted by this tragic incident. Budding educators established their careers within the walls of the campus, fostering the futures of generations of children. the old high school i used to go to got shut down and my last year was at the new school, now going inside the old school is super weird and creepy. WPHS had, for most of its active history, been known as an exceptional institution, both in regards to academics, and later its diversity. Between 1900 and 1920, student enrollment in the United States quadrupled and then nearly quadrupled again by 1940, according to the public policy magazine, City Journal. Dolores "Dee" Soles, 92, of Harrisburg, passed away Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the Homeland Center of Harrisburg. Sobczak, along with a committee, organized the event, which included a tour of the old William Penn building. William Penn Exemplary Demonstration High was opened in 1970. I'm the only one here. Many have been forced to cut back on everything from school supplies and textbooks to programs and staff. But the 1950s represented the high mark for William Penn. For other educational establishments with a similar name, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Old memories, new hopes for former Philly high school grounds", Ackerman plan would revamp and reimagine failing schools, close others, Public Hearing on the Proposed Closure of William Penn High School, "William Penn High School demolition begins", "Morning Headlines: Former William Penn High on North Broad to Be Demolished", Progress begins at William Penn site to create athletic fields south of campus, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Penn_High_School_(Philadelphia)&oldid=1023681894, This page was last edited on 17 May 2021, at 18:57. Step 1: Find Your Zoned School. There is the potential for a mix-use, Brown said. I was proud to call Harrisburg home, so many things about it to love.. In the dark corner of an office, across from the cafeteria, mailboxes with letters still inside remain in cubbyholes, each marked with a label of a teachers name. To see other historic pictures of William Penn High School, visit The William Penn Project page on Facebook. By the end of the 1960s, however, enrollment in the school district had steadily declined, as did resources and student achievement, justifying the need to consolidate the schools open at the time. Informal meet in 1974,) Historical markers can be found in all 50 states and contain important information about our country's history. South Philadelphia: Residents Celebrate Upcoming Changes to Weccacoe Playground, Arts & Entertainment: Uncool Chuck Brings Unity Amongst Phillys Creatives, South Philadelphia: Bowling Alley and Nonprofit Organization Work Together for the Community, Germantown: Formerly Incarcerated Women Work Toward a More Peaceful City. Fire Protection Engineering Report. Youre kind of spot on with the vision of what all that could be, agreed Turman, who has previously floated the idea of using the William Penn property as a magnet middle school. You board that window, another one is broken into, Turman said. OVERALL 12-7 0.63 Win % LEAGUE 3-2 4thBlue Hen Flight - A. The auditorium is huge, and equipped with sound and lighting equipment, albeit old. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. History Rotting Away: William Penn High School, Billy Cobb plays his first-ever live show in Millersville, Students demonstrate filmmaking chops in Midnight Run competition, Millersville University and flooding: what you need to know, Seniors reminisce on graduation milestones. Rausch Gap isn't far from Harrisburg, there's some abandoned village leftover like a few gravesites and ruins from a late 1800s resort hotel. Penn Wood High School in the William Penn School District. In some cases, people who lived in the suburbs paid to have their children attend Harrisburg schools.. We read them every time we were in that space, and I think they had deep meaning to all serious students, recalled John Robinson, a member of the class of 1964 at William Penn High School. Our hearts go out to the victims family and Delaware State Police (DSP) are continuing a criminal investigation at William Penn regarding an incident where a gun was fired inside the building. We know what the needs of the community are and how everyone can benefit.. William Penn High School was a public high school serving grades 9-12, located at 1333 N Broad St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. HARRISBURG, Pa. . And to secure a building like this so that it doesn't have vandalism and things like that, it's just nearly impossible," said Chief Brian Enterline.Investigators said they're looking at surveillance video to determine who started the fire. William Penn Elementary School William Penn Elementary School. Watch. IF YOU WALK THE HALLS, THEY ARE LONG. In 1972, John Harris absorbed William Penn students, the building morphing into a technical school before closing entirely. Pride for their school was still strong among students, she recalls. William Penns population was transferred to John Harris in 1972, according to city historical markers, and the facility converted into a technical academy before fully closing in the 2010-2011 school year, the Patriot-News reported at the time. The district, he said, continues to weigh all viable offers. Students had to wear black slacks with a white or gray polo shirt and black shoes. It just became a dumping ground when they had extra materials.. Attorney Corky Goldstein graduated with the class of 1958. In June 2013, 23 schools were closed according to a plan by the SRC and the School District of Philadelphia to cut down on education costs. It was located at a convenient location near Broad and Girard Ave that had local eateries, three major fast food chains, a gas station, a CVS Pharmacy, public transportation to the Girard subway station and two major bus routes. Join us on Patreon for high quality photos, exclusive content, and book previews Opened. Simpson estimates that the work would take three to four years and cost up to $175 million. William Penn High School was built in 1926 as a companion school to John Harris High School, which still operates as the districts primary high school campus. Former WP Teacher Academy, with support from the Tri-M Music Honor Society, are looking for donations to start a Care Closet at WPHS. The district proposed rezoning Penn zone residents who were also in the Clymer School zone to Simon Gratz High School, and it proposed rezoning Penn zoned residents . Delaware State Police said around 11:40 a.m . Now, their books lay closed on each desk, waiting to be cracked open again. View a slide show of this portfolio here. Masterminds was once an SLC for students that wanted to go into a career in Law and African American studies. Bill Schmidt ( Class of 1942): He competed in just one sport, but he was the best in the nation when it came to his event. ADVERTISEMENT Bok was purchased for $2.1 million from the School District of Philadelphia in 2014 by urban design firmScout Ltd., which is currently renovating the building into a new and innovative center for Philadelphia creatives and non-profits, according to itswebsite. Penn had a professional television studio and editing software, along with top notch computer labs and a dark room for photography. 3620 Penn Ave N. 1907. HOME 1-4 AWAY 0-5 NEUTRAL 1-1. Witnesses reported seeing young people running from the abandoned building around the time of Tuesday afternoon's fire. Close. Mediterranean restaurant opening in Cumberland Co. Central Dauphin High School adding therapy dog, Pa. woman charged with endangering welfare of children, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Sobczak remembers that her class of 56 had about 264 students. The city could make use of it for local government offices. A school district spokesman could not be reached for comment. Another victim of the 2013 mass school closing, Boks students were forced to relocate to South Philadelphia High School, located a couple of blocks southwest. Planners, report cards, and timesheets clutter the once clean floors of the school, now crawling with collapsed insulation and spilled paint. We're on a 25-acre campus. Jun 25, 2012 - William Penn High School - Harrisburg, PA This school is beautiful. 1979. 5 min read. $140,000. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. WBL activities develop and strengthen both technical skills and employability skills in preparation for post-secondary education and employment as a young adult. Penn housed an Olympic sized swimming pool that only went from three to four feet to teach students to swim. Closing on June, 30, 2010, William Penn High School was shut down due to poor student performance, declining enrollment and deterioration to the building that was deemed too expensive to fix, according to the recommendationby the School Reform Commission in 2009. And just a few feet away is Italian Lake, a beautiful garden and pond. Two of the most expensive properties will be showcased today: William Penn High School, located at 1301 North Broad Street and valued at $15 million, and Walter Smith, located at 1300 South 19th Street in Point Breeze and coming in at $3 million. Once gloriously lit against red velvet seats and a gleaming black stage, William Penns performing arts center faintly remains as a ghost, quiet and eerie. Years ago, they used to say William Penn was the largest high school campus in the U.S., Jackson said. Urban architect Charles Howard Lloyd, who would later claim fame for the Zembo Shrine, was busy designing schools. . A top district official told school board . He lives near the complex and hopes the building is sold soon. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. [ November 28, 2022 ] North Philadelphia: Can the Next Crimes be Prevented? It has 2,297 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1. Damn, I'm like a highway away from there. Photo courtesy of Madelyn Smith/Snapper, Morgan Huber and Olivia HeilemannStaff Writers. 2 /10. William Penn Senior High School Dedicated to excellence in education Upcoming Events. It sits along Division and North 4th streets in uptown Harrisburg. Urban explorers should also choose to be more cautious when investigating abandoned buildings such as this one, and should refrain from inflicting harm, like breaking through windows or spray painting graffiti for example. The city itself has been deteriorating, and its time to return it to its previous glory. "Abandoned America" is a registered trademark. PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods: A program of the Department of Journalism at the Lew Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University. With only 300 to 400 students enrolled, the Vo-Tech lacked both resources and motivation to accommodate the needs of staff and students. Overlooking the Italian Lake and Susquehanna River, students, staff, and passerby were privileged with beautiful views of the city as they walked or drove by the school. The Harrisburg Career & Technology Academy closed after the 2010-11 academic year, due to declining enrollment and student achievement, with most remaining students either returning to Harrisburg High or transferring to Dauphin County Technical School. students would engage in "turf warfare" and the abandoned school building would become a haven for criminal activity. 10th -11th graders can register for self-paced, online course to prepare for SAT/PSAT by 3/1. Today. Ps 321 William Penn located in BROOKLYN, New York - NY. Did some research, and this family is all dead or in jail now. Chief William Penn, Jr. is a 25-year veteran of the Winston-Salem Police Department. William Penn High School. "It was really a beautiful school." Jackson's class had a little over 300 students, while the full school had about 1,200. One of the largest high schools in Philadelphia prior to its shutdown in 2013, Germantown High School had a maximum capacity of 2,218 students. Thousands of young men and women from all walks of life built their futures there, learning the skills they needed and making memories that would be cherished for a lifetime. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All rights reserved. When it was decided the school would close, William Penn had only 641 students enrolled, with a maximum capacity of 2,423. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2022 All Rights Reserved. Greetings Colonial Nation We are very excited to move on to our winter sports season. This bowling alley has only been open since 2009 and employs [continue reading], These school closings reak of cultural insensitivity.Our biggest fight for the restoration of our community starts with our school system. The class of 2004 was the most recent biggest graduating class. Louis XIV receives them at court. Items can be dropped off in each staff center or in N104 or E212. by Maddie Hanna. Art SLC had two huge two-story art rooms with kilns to harden certain art projects. I think it was because of a lack of enrollment, not sure how it got to the point of being this abandoned though. Harrisburg School District cannot continue to avoid the issue of the abandoned and deteriorating William Penn High School, the districts administration told the school board Tuesday night, expressing the need to open a dialogue about the propertys ultimate fate. The 1970 plaque on the front of the building housed a time capsule with the hope one day students can view the contents inside. Sobczaks alumni mailing list gets shorter by the year. 61-50 (L) William Penn vs. Appoquinimink. Over the years, many fires have been set in the building, requiring the Harrisburg Bureau of Fires attention. Copyright Matthew Christopher Photography LLC 2004-Present. Remove me from the list . Board member James Thompson also said that the parcel is not unreasonably large as an expansion space for Camp Curtin, describing it as an opportunity to build the middle school of the future and that the district should not give up by selling the land, even if such a use is many years away. A Change in the Weather: Pennsylvanias emergency management and environmental experts explain climate change: Why flooding is our top riskand its not the Susquehanna theyre most worried about. An update for parents and families for January 17, 2023. 945 William Penn Ct, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. We were proud to be city school graduates, she said. It occurred around 11:40 a.m. at William Penn High School on the 700 block of East Basin Road in New Castle. February 28, 2023 | by M. Diane McCormick, Sign up for notifications of the monthly release, breaking news and exclusive Harrisburg offers, Sign up for notifications of the monthly release, breaking news and exclusive Harrisburg offers Wilkinsburg Senior High School. There have been other successful school building conversion projects in the city, such as the old Simon Cameron School in Olde Uptown and the former Boas Street School at Green and Forster streets, which both are now apartment buildings. As Superintendent Celmer said, taking on a project like this requires not only a heart for the community, but strong resources backing it. These schools are were a safe haven for our children. Location: 180 7 Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215; Phone: 718-499-2412; Fax: 718-965-9605; School Website; Overview School Quality Reports. While the state average was 75%, CTAs students reading and math proficiency consistently remained at 15 to 20% in the last decade or so of its operation. S2 E6: The Lost Garden of Beatrix Farrand, S2 E5: The Skin Experiments at Holmesburg Prison, S2 E4: The Story of Urban Exploration Resource, S2 E2: The Life & Death of the American Mall. Navigate 1 page forward. Chief Penn has served on the Liberty Street CDC Board and the HBCU Living Legends Board. 0:05. William Penn building plans were scaled back to save funds for the second school on the Hill, but the new blueprints were hardly modest. William Penn High School was a public high school serving grades 9-12, located at 1333 N Broad St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It's hard to imagine that students actually attended it at one point. It has to come with the ability to finance.. He resumes his travels in the company of Robert Spencer. Our reporters were permitted to get an exclusive look within the schools walls, hoping to capture the campus in its current state. Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. If you head to Division and Third Street . Over a decade later, its even sadder, as William Penn has sat, deteriorating, since. Planning for the Future. The school had several charming additions that caught the eyes of many, like a crystal ball hanging over one of the cafeterias where school dances were held, and even waterfalls on each floor that sat in front of beautiful handmade mosaics. William Penn High School Basketball; Basketball Schedule; William Penn Basketball Schedule. Capital Rebirth team at the William Penn High School, Mae Sobczak was a relatively quiet student back in her high school days at William Penn High School. 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