Abandoned High School Building in Pittsburgh PA

Gladstone School, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Date added: October 29, 2024

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Pennsylvania
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View of Site, Looking North at Tut Way (2019)

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Gladstone Junior High School, located at 327 Hazelwood Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was designed by Pittsburgh architect O. M. Topp. The Gladstone School, with its Collegiate Gothic exterior featuring large window openings for plentiful light and air, and interior of specialized learning spaces and wide corridors for ease of circulation, is an example of a Long Progressive Era school. The first building was constructed as an elementary school, and in 1958 the entire school was converted to a high school. This conversion would have significantly altered the curriculum. The school was an important fixture in the development of the Hazelwood neighborhood, and was built during a period of rapid industrial development which resulted in a growing population.

Gladstone School consists of two buildings and one structure formerly operated by the Pittsburgh Public School Board between 1914 and 2001. The school is located on the south slope of the Monongahela River valley in the geographically isolated Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh, approximately six miles east from Downtown Pittsburgh. Prior to construction of the Gladstone School, the area bounded by Hazelwood and Sylvan Avenues was occupied by nine parcels of mostly open land, with low-rise single-family residences fronting on Hazelwood and Sylvan Avenues.

The hills above Hazelwood separate the neighborhood from neighboring communities including Greenfield and Oakland. Over the course of a century, the Hazelwood community grew from a sparsely populated area known as Scotch Bottom, to a vibrant industrial center. B.F. Jones constructed the Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad through Hazelwood in 1861, which connected Pittsburgh with the coke-producing Connellsville area dominated by industrialist Henry Clay Frick. Pittsburgh annexed Hazelwood and other neighboring towns in 1869, which now comprise the city's East End. In 1884, the Jones & Laughlin (J&L) Company started industrial iron and coke-producing operations in Hazelwood. By 1906 J&L had amassed the largest number of beehive coke ovens in the world in Hazelwood. By this time, Hazelwood essentially functioned as a company town, with the majority of residents working at the nearby plants. The industrial expansion of the Hazelwood neighborhood (and Pittsburgh at large) exponentially increased the population, with immigrants from Eastern Europe filling many of the most demanding industrial jobs. Hazelwood became home for Hungarian, Italian, Carpatho-Russian, Slovak, Polish, and Irish immigrant populations. This growing population of working-class urban residents increased demand for educational institutions. In this period of rapid industrialization, corporatization of the economy, and expansion of professions, public schools were embraced by Progressive Reformers as a means to improve the social lives of students and their communities through public health programs, home economics classes, and physical education.

When the cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny merged in 1907 both had ward-based schools of uneven educational and architectural quality. The wealthier the ward, the better the schools. In 1911, a centralized Pittsburgh School Board was established, consolidating 61 separate school entities in the city, and it assumed the task of constructing and operating City schools. After 18 months of study, the consolidated school board made a number of recommendations for new schools, including one proposed for immigrant-populated Hazelwood. This coincided with the nationwide systemization of public school construction and education for which the Long Progressive Era is characterized.

Plans for the new school at Hazelwood and Gladstone Avenues were drawn in 1913 by Pittsburgh architect O.M. Topp. Construction of the school was completed in 1914. The school originally stood on a two-plus-acre site, with the narrow end of the building facing Hazelwood Avenue. The original Gladstone School building was a three-story rectangular brick building, ornamented with Collegiate Gothic details, including arched entries and four small "pepperpot" towers (since removed). The school contained a longitudinal center double-loaded corridor design flanked by classrooms. The original building included 9 classrooms, a kindergarten, a Sewing Room, Cooking Room, Model Bed Room, Model Dining Room, and assorted ancillary spaces. The school was finished and occupied in the Fall of 1914 and dedicated the next year, servicing elementary and junior-high students. At the time it was constructed, the school overlooked the J&L Plant (later known as LTV), located on the bank of the Monongahela River.

As Pittsburgh continued to grow in the 1920s, Hazelwood's population grew significantly, from 1,399 people in 1870 to 27,976 in 1920. With the neighborhood growing, and new families establishing in Hazelwood, expansion of Gladstone School was needed to avoid over-crowding. Perhaps in anticipation of future growth, architect O. M. Topp had designed an addition to the 1914 building that was included with the original plans. The addition, completed in 1924, extended the building westward away from Hazelwood Avenue, creating a long and narrow rectangular shape. The addition held eight additional classrooms, a drafting room, a "bench room suite," and a 400-seat auditorium. The addition is composed of the rear seven bays of the existing 1914-1924 Building. In urban areas with dense populations of immigrants, such as Hazelwood, public schools also fulfilled the Reformers' objective of Americanization. The "social" rooms and after-school adult English language courses offered at Gladstone in the 1920s were part of the "Americanization" process for newly arrived immigrants, accomplishing the Progressives' objective to integrate the influx of immigrants into American society.

The continued socioeconomic growth of the Hazelwood neighborhood made it necessary to construct an additional school building. Recreation spaces including gymnasiums and pools were becoming an important element of Progressive Schools, as reformers sought to incorporate health, wellness, and physical activity into education. In 1926, a separate building for elementary students, known as the "Annex," was constructed to the south of the 1914-24 Building which included a pool, gymnasiums, and additional classrooms. Prior to construction, there were two low-rise single family dwellings on Hazelwood Avenue in front of the location of the proposed new building, and one immediately behind it. The properties were acquired by the School Board and the houses were demolished to make way for the new building, expanding the existing site to 6.2 acres. The new Annex Building was a three-story brick rectilinear building with a basement. The Annex building was designed to blend with to the 1914-1924 building, with similar brick and contrasting articulated stone window surrounds. The narrow ends of the rectangular Annex building fronted Sylvan Avenue to the south, and a new alley, Tut Way, between the Annex and the older sections of the Gladstone School.

When completed in 1924, the Annex building contained a swimming pool in its basement level, 14 classrooms on two floors above, and one large and one medium gymnasium on the two-story upper floor, along with "playrooms," and locker rooms. While the architect of the Annex building has not been confirmed, O.M. Topp was still practicing in the late 1920s and the similar design to the 1914 building suggests he was possibly the designer. Once the Annex building was completed in 1926, the older 1914-1924 building became a junior high school. Along with the construction of the 1926 Building was an iron-clad pedestrian skybridge which was likely added to provide internal access from 1914-1924 buildings to the pool and gymnasiums. Openings accessing the elevated pedestrian bridge framed with steel were created at the second floor landings of each building.

The buildings were separated by a drive known as "Tut Way," likely named for the groundbreaking archeological discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. The new classrooms in the Annex building served elementary students, in keeping with the Progressive educational philosophy of separation of age groups. The placement of elementary school students within the building with the recreational facilities also followed Progressive emphasis on the physical education of developing youth, which social scientists identified as a community issue regarding public health. During the early-20^th Century, the popularity of sports as leisure activities grew as people began to see the importance of exercise to health. The opening of publicly available gymnasiums, courts, and fields allowed the working and middle classes to participate in health activities previously reserved for the wealthy. The Progressive objective to include gymnasiums, pools, and other modes of physical exercise in public schools fits within this broader public health trend which took place during the 1910s and 1920s.

The school continued to operate and function as a Progressive Era elementary school and junior-high school in the 1940s. By the 1950s, Post World War II, the demographics of Hazelwood had changed from southern and eastern European immigrant enclaves to predominantly African-American. Following displacement from Pittsburgh's Lower Hill District urban renewal project which destroyed the commercial heart of the African American community, many settled in Hazelwood. At the same time, many of the while residents were moving to the suburbs, following national demographic and development trends spearheaded by the FHA and VHA programs. To accommodate demographic changes in population and age, in 1958 the entire Gladstone School was converted from an elementary and junior-high school into a high school.

The last major construction on the site was a modern two-story addition in 1965 that housed a cafeteria and occupational/vocational shops including an auto shop needed for senior high school education. The 1965 addition extended the 1914-1924 building to the south and west, beyond the auditorium. The architect of the 1965 addition is unknown. The basketball court was likely added c.1965. In 1976 the Gladstone School was again converted from a high school into a middle school, and the 1965 addition became classrooms. The chimney that was formerly located at the 1914 section of the building was likely removed in the late 20^th Century. The J&L / LTV Coke Plant closed in 1998, accelerating decline in Hazelwood. During the 1990s, the student body of Gladstone School decreased with each passing year, and the school closed in 2001. The building has been vacant since 2001.

Between 1900 and 1920, Pittsburgh's public school construction peaked, building schools including the Madison Elementary School (1902), Beltzhoover School (1909) in Beltzhoover, the Colfax Elementary School (1911) in Squirrel Hill, the subject building, Gladstone Elementary School (1914), the Dilworth Elementary School (1915) in East Liberty, Schenley School (1916) in North Oakland, and Westinghouse High School (1917) in Homewood. These schools were designed in Classical Revival and styles including Renaissance Revival, and Tudor Revival which connoted the idea of higher learning and structure.

Another wave of Progressive Schools were constructed in the 1920s and early 1930s. These schools included Greenfield Elementary School (1922) in Greenfield, Boggs Avenue Elementary (1925) in the Mt. Washington neighborhood, the David B. Oliver School (1925) in the Perry South neighborhood, the Gladstone Middle School Annex Building (1926), and Taylor Allerdice High School (1927) in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, Knoxville Junior High School (1927) in the Knoxville neighborhood, Langley High School (1923-27) in the Sheraden neighborhood, Prospect Junior High School (1931) in the Mt. Washington neighborhood, Lincoln Elementary School (1931) in the Larimer neighborhood, an addition to the Madison Elementary School (1929), Arsenal Middle School (1932) in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. The design of these later Progressive schools quoted the same Revival Styles but also included elements of the more modern Art Deco.

While each of these schools from the early 20^th Century featured their own unique design rooted in Classical or neoclassical architecture, they embraced many of the Progressive ideas promoted by Wirt. Providing specialty rooms such as auditoriums, gymnasiums, home economics rooms, and shop rooms, along with trained personnel who can integrate training lessons with practical mathematical and scientific principles, became a staple of Progressive Era schools in Pittsburgh and across the state. In the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the Collegiate Gothic design which the Gladstone School is reflective of illustrates the economic growth of Hazelwood during the industrialization of Pittsburgh which coincided with (and catalyzed) the Long Progressive Era. The usage of Collegiate Gothic elements in the design of the Gladstone School ties the building to academia, and reflects the style of institutions of higher education, including Ivy League schools such as Yale and Princeton, and nearby schools like the University of Pittsburgh. The stately appearance of the school denoted the importance which the city and the community placed in its public educational system, and symbolized the progress of the neighborhood from a quiet community to an industrial powerhouse.

Building Description

The Gladstone School is located at 327 Hazelwood Avenue, in Pittsburgh's Hazelwood neighborhood. The Hazelwood neighborhood is located along the eastern shore of the Monongahela River, approximately 4.5 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. Gladstone School is located in central Hazelwood, at the intersection of Hazelwood Avenue and Sylvan Avenue. The buildings are sited on a 6.2 acre site with a large rear parking lot.

The school contains two, three-story buildings connected by a pedestrian bridge. The buildings include the 1914-1924 Building with a 1965 addition, and the 1926 Annex building. The buildings are connected by a metal-clad 1926 pedestrian bridge at the second floor. The 1914-1924 building is a three-story L-shaped brick building; the 1926 Annex building is a three-story building with a rectangular footprint. Both buildings are designed in the Collegiate Gothic Style, representative of Long Progressive Era school design methodology. An alleyway located between the two buildings, known as Tut Way, leads to rear parking lots. A 1965 basketball court is located to the south of the Annex Building. In 2001, the buildings were vacated by the Pittsburgh School District.

The Gladstone School is located in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, roughly 6 miles from downtown, on the south bank of the Monongahela River. The neighborhood slopes up from the river to the east of Second Avenue, the main arterial road and commercial corridor. The former Jones and Laughlin (later LTV) Steel mill separates Second Avenue from the river. Single family detached and semi-attached homes characterize the neighborhood. Following a period of deindustrialization and population loss, many buildings and residences were vacated, resulting in larger swaths of vacant land and houses populated throughout the neighborhood. The area immediately surrounding the Gladstone School is characterized by low-rise single-family homes constructed in the early 20^th century with some dating to the late 20^th century. The Hazelwood Greenway is located approximately two blocks from the school.

The Gladstone School is located on a 6.2-acre site. The site is bound by Hazelwood Avenue to the south, Sylvan Avenue to the west, Gladstone Street to east, and a neighboring residential parcel to the north. The site slopes downward from the east to the west and the grade rises to the northeast of the site. The 1914-1926 building is located to the east of the site with the 1965 addition extending to the rear. The 1926 Annex building is located to the west of the site. A drive, Tut Way, separates the two buildings and extends from Gladstone Avenue to the rear of the site to a second vehicular entrance on Sylvan Avenue. The 1926 pedestrian bridge spans between the two buildings over Tut Way. Two paved parking lots are located at the rear northwest corner of the site. A basketball court surrounded by a modern chain link fence is located to the south of the Annex building on Hazelwood Avenue. The basketball court is accessible by a set of utilitarian concrete steps with a metal pipe rail. Concrete sidewalks separate the site from the street at Gladstone Avenue and Sylvan Avenue. A simple metal fence is located at the sidewalk in front of the 1914-1924 building. A utilitarian concrete retaining wall is located at the southwest corner of the site. A modern wood sign is located in the lawn to the southwest of the 1914-1926 building.

Both of the 1914-1924 and 1926 buildings have reinforced concrete structure, clad in red brick with limestone accents. The 1965 addition to the 1914-24 Building features a steel structure clad in brick with stone accents. Roofing throughout the Gladstone School is flat, and clad in a modern synthetic membrane.

The 1914-1924 building fronts Hazelwood Avenue to the south, Gladstone Street to the east, Tut Way to the west, and a separate unrelated parcel to the north. The building is fully exposed on all four elevations with an exposed basement level. The exterior of the building is clad in red brick with limestone accents. Along the south elevation, the building's main entrance is accessible by concrete steps that extend from the boundary's concrete sidewalk to the front of the building. Located on the east and west elevations are secondary entrances located at grade. Fenestration is provided by modern aluminum 1/1 windows. Most window openings feature limestone trim and mullions. All windows located at the ground floor contains modern metal security grilles.

The south elevation is the primary street facing elevation, fronting on Hazelwood Avenue, and contains the primary entrance at the ground floor level. The elevation is constructed of red brick with limestone ornamentation. The elevation is three-stories in height with a two-story section that projects roughly 40 feet from the building plane. The two-story section is three bays wide, as is the three-story section.

The two-story section contains the primary entrance at the ground floor level within the central bay. This section of the elevation features limestone spandrels between the ground floor and first floor, and above the first floor and a brick parapet with a limestone cornice at the roof. The parapet contains an ornamental stone shade. The entrance features an ornamental limestone surround with a pointed arched door opening flanked by two sidelights. The first floor of the central bay contains five windows. The east and west bays of the two-story section are set back from the building plane. The west bay contains single windows at the ground floor and first floor. The east bay contains a single window at the first floor. A brick retaining wall connects to the south elevation at the east. Ornamental copper gutters flank the entrance.

The three-story section contains a limestone spandrel between the first and second floors and a limestone cornice. Single windows at located within the east and west bays at the first floor. The second and third floors are identical with a paired window at the central bay flanked by five windows in the east and west bays.

The west elevation is similar to the south elevation in material and style. The elevation is 10 bays in length. The south seven bays composed the 1914 section of the building, the three north bays compose the 1924 section of the building. Limestone spandrels are located between the basement level and first floor and first and second floors. A limestone cornice is located below the roofline. All windows are 1/1 modern aluminum units. Window openings at floors 1-3 contain limestone trim and mullions where there are paired or multiple windows. The pedestrian bridge is located within the fourth bay from the north at the second floor. Two secondary entrances are located at the ground floor level.

The southernmost bay contains one window at the first floor and one paired window at the ground level. The next bay to the north contains one square window and one paired window with transoms at the first floor, and two window openings at the ground floor. The third bay from the north contains two windows at the first floor and two at the ground floor.

The fourth bay from the north contains five 1/1 aluminum windows at floors 1-3. The basement contains two square window openings with modern metal security grilles. The next bay to the south houses a secondary entrance at the first floor, accessible by utilitarian concrete steps with a metal pipe rail. The entrance features an ornamental limestone surround with a pointed arched door opening. Paired 1/1 aluminum windows are located between the first and second floors and second and third floors. The third-floor window opening contains an arched limestone pediment. The next bay to the north (adjacent to the pedestrian bridge) contains two sets of paired 1/1 aluminum windows at the first floor; at the second and third floors there is a tripartite window flanked by single windows. The ground floor contains two boarded window openings.

The central bay that contains the pedestrian bridge features another secondary entrance at the ground floor level. The entrance is a mirror image of the other entrance at the west elevation. A paired window 1s located between the first and second floors. At the second floor the elevation is obscured by the pedestrian bridge. A window opening between the second and third floors was modified to create an opening for the bridge and has been partially infilled. The limestone arched pediment of the former window opening is visible above the bridge. The brick surrounding the pedestrian bridge is water-damaged with areas of efflorescence and staining.

The three northernmost bays which composed the 1924 section of the building are identical with five windows in each bay at floors 1-3. Small window openings are located between the three bays. Three small window openings are located at the ground level in the south bay.

The secondary north elevation is composed of the 1924 addition and is obscured by the 1965 addition. The elevation is one story in height. The grade change obscures the ground floor. The elevation is composed of red brick and contains a limestone cornice. Two boarded door openings are located to the east and west of the elevation. Modern light fixtures are installed at the second floor.

The secondary east elevation is similar in material and style to all other elevations. The elevation is three stories high and 13 bays wide. The south seven bays date to 1914. The north six bays date to the 1924 addition. The south two bays, which compose the main entrance are two-stories in height. The north two bays, which compose the 1924 auditorium, are two stories in height with a lower roof line. Two entrances within the 1914 section of the elevation are located at grade which access stairs at the interior.

The first two bays to the south are two stories in height, set back from the building plane. The third bay from the south is three stories in height and projects from the building plane with a bay window at the north corner. The remainder of the bays are three stories form one building plane. The southernmost bay contains one window at the first floor and one paired window at the ground level. The next bay to the north contains one square window and one paired window with transoms at the first floor, and two window openings at the ground floor. The third bay from the north contains two windows at the first floor and two at the ground floor.

The next bay to the north contains five windows at the first and second floors. The ground floor windows are boarded. The next bay to the north contains a secondary entrance at the first floor. The entrance features an ornamental limestone surround topped by a paired window and contains modern metal double-leaf doors. The second floor contains a paired window with transoms. The next bay to the north contains a single window flanked by sets of paired windows at the first floor and five windows at the second floor. The ground floor contains five windows. The next bay to the north contains a secondary entrance at the first floor identical to the other secondary entrance. The second floor contains a paired window with transoms. The next two bays are identical to the north contains five windows at the first and second floors.

The roof of the building has three levels, all of which are flat. Modern fixtures and synthetic membrane cladding materials located at each tier.

The building has sustained limited alterations since its construction in 1914 and 1924, the most significant change being construction of the 1965 addition and the alteration of one bay at the second floor for the pedestrian bridge in 1926. Windows and entry doors have been replaced which are modification typical of school buildings. The stone Gothic Revival details at the parapet of the primary south elevation were removed sometime in the late-20^th century, and the four small "pepperpot" towers and parapet located at the original 1914 building's four corners were removed, with the towers at the northeast and northwest corners removed first when the 1924 auditorium section was constructed, followed by the southeast and southwest towers which were removed sometime during the late-20^th century. It is likely that a large circular chimney that once rose above the roof was removed in the late 20^th century.

The interior of the 1914-24 Building historically housed classrooms and offices with the auditorium located the rear of the building at the first floor. The primary entrance at the south elevation accesses the basement level. The secondary entrances located at the west elevation access the ground floor while the secondary entrances located at the east elevation access the first floor. The floors are arranged on a central corridor that provides access to classrooms, bathrooms, and stairwells. Within the corridors, wood paneled doors with wood door trim provide access to classrooms. Some of the wood doors have been replaced with modern metal doors. The corridor is constructed of flat plaster walls, flat plaster ceiling with areas of exposed ductwork, terrazzo floors and marble baseboard. The doors to the classrooms contain wooden doors with a multi-light arrangement though many doors were replaced with modern units.

The configuration of the classrooms varies in size throughout the building. In general, classroom finishes include VCT or hardwood floors, painted wood millwork including baseboard, chair rail and picture rail, and painted window and door trim. The chair rail and picture rail remain in a piecemeal fashion. Some classrooms feature marble baseboard. The southernmost classroom at the ground floor features stone fireplace mantels and wood paneling. Select classrooms feature black chalkboards, though many have been replaced with modern chalkboards. Several classrooms have been updated with modern partition walls and finishes including carpet floors, vinyl baseboard and gypsum board walls, and suspended acoustic ceiling tile. In much of the building, concentrated at the second floor, the hardwood floors and plaster walls and ceilings are severely water damaged. In areas the floor is buckling or has completely rotted away.

The auditorium is located at the rear of the building accessible by the corridor at the first floor. Modern double-leaf doors at the end of the corridor access the auditorium. There are three groups of wood seating with aisles located between each row and against the walls. The walls are constructed of plaster with crown molding and ornamental detailing. The ceiling is coffered with modern gypsum board infill and lighting. The floor is concrete with areas of hardwood beneath the seating. Fronting the auditorium is a wood stage. The stage features a flat plaster backdrop with a wood baseboard. Exits are located on the either side of the stage. The plaster walls are severely water-damaged at the east and north walls with areas of the structural brick exposed.

The basement is utilitarian in design, accessible by the south stair from the interior and the primary entrance at the south elevation. A hall accesses utilitarian classrooms with painted brick walls and exposed ceiling structure. The hall and classrooms contain terrazzo floors. The hall extends to the rear of the basement which is inaccessible.

Vertical access throughout the 1914-1924 building is provided by stairwells located along the east and west walls of the building, and are accessed by the central double-loaded corridor. The building is served by six stairs. Two secondary stairs provide access between the ground floor and first floor. One stair is located within the two-story section of the building to the south and accesses the basement and ground floor. The remainder of the stairs are located centrally within the main section of the building and access the ground floor through the second floor.

The building retains aspects of its original floor plan and finishes, including the sequence of classrooms along a double-loaded corridor and the placement of stairwells. Areas throughout the building retain their original finishes, including hardwood flooring and wood millwork at baseboards, chair rails, and picture rails within the classrooms, and the flat plaster walls and ceilings within the corridors. The condition of many features is poor following a long period of vacancy and lack of maintenance. The overall interior of the building has been modernized with new mechanical equipment as is typical of school buildings.

The 1965 addition to the 1914-1924 building is located to the rear of the building and abuts the north elevation. The addition consists of steel construction clad in brick with stone accents and is two stories in height with a rectangular footprint and cantilevered flat roof clad in synthetic membrane. Fenestration throughout the 1965 addition is located primarily at the west elevation, and consists of nine-light picture windows at the second floor, and four-light awning windows at the first floor.

The primary west elevation is 16 bays wide, 2-stories in height, composed of concrete with red brick infill and a combination of original and replacement aluminum windows. The second floor projects slightly from the first floor.

The secondary north elevation is one bay wide, 2-stories in height, composed of concrete and red brick. A secondary entrance is located at the first floor, accessing the stair at the interior. The second floor projects slightly from the first floor.

The secondary east elevation is six bays wide composed of concrete and red brick. The elevation is one story in height due to the grade change on the site. A secondary entrance is located at the second bay from the south.

The building abuts the 1914-1924 building at the south elevation. The exposed section of the elevation is one bay wide, two stories in height. A secondary entrance is located at the first floor.

The interior of the 1965 addition houses a cafeteria and multipurpose room at the ground floor and classrooms accessible by a single-loaded corridor at the first floor. The addition is vertically accessibly by two stairs-one located to the north and one to the south of the building. The 1965 addition is accessed from the 1914-1924 from the auditorium hall and adjacent stair. The north stair well within the 1914-1924 building connects to the south stair at the 1965 addition.

Finishes throughout are modern were updated in the 1990s. Finishes throughout include gypsum board walls, suspended acoustic ceiling tile, vinyl composite tile and ceramic tile floors. The first-floor beams are covered with aluminum. Classrooms at the second floor have painted metal ceilings and exposed painted concrete beams.

The 1926 Annex Building is three stories in height and houses a pool, gymnasiums, and classrooms. Like the 1914-1924, the exterior of the building is clad in red brick with limestone accents. The exterior is double-height at the second floor where the gymnasiums are housed at the interior. The building fronts Hazelwood Avenue to the south, Sylvan Avenue to the west, Tut Way to the east, and the parking lot to the north. Sections of the interior house one-story locker rooms and offices, while others contain two-story gymnasiums, creating an irregular fenestration pattern at the exterior. Along the south elevation, the building's main entrance is accessible by concrete steps that extend from Tut Way and from the adjacent basketball court. Located on the north and east elevations are secondary entrances. Fenestration is provided by modern aluminum 1/1 windows. Most window openings feature limestone trim and mullions.

The primary south elevation is seven bays wide, three stories in height. The easternmost bay projects slightly from the building plane. Limestone spandrels are located between the first and second floors and above the second floor. The basement level is partially exposed at the south elevation. The primary elevation is located in the third bay from the west at the basement level within a projecting limestone vestibule. The vestibule has a flat roof and features and ornamental balustrade at the roofline. The entrance is boarded and contains two sets of modern double-leaf metal doors. Above the entrance at the ground floor-first floor is a projecting bay with paired windows. The bay is topped by a limestone cornice.

At the basement level, the westernmost bay projects from the building plane and contains a flat roof. The westernmost bay contains a limestone course near the roofline and contains four windows with limestone trim at the opening. A brick chimney with limestone courses rises two stories above the roofline is located in the second bay from the east. A secondary entrance is located in the second bay from the east at the basement level. The entrance features a limestone surround and contains a modern metal double-leaf door. Four additional window openings are located at the basement level.

At the ground floor and first floor, the two westernmost and two easternmost bays are nearly identical with five windows in each bay. The third bay from the east (adjacent to the entrance) contains two windows.

At the second floor the two westernmost and the easternmost bays are identical with five windows in each bay. The bay over the primary entrance contains a single window. The two central bays house two levels of windows (three openings in the west and five openings in the east).

The secondary west elevation is five bays wide. The basement is fully exposed at the west elevation, with the concrete foundation visible. Two one-story bays are located at the basement level, set back from the building plane. Limestone spandrels are located between the basement and ground floor, first and second floors, and above the second floor. An ornamental Juliette balcony is located at the second floor, accessible by a door with an ornamental limestone entablature. A limestone modillion is located near the roofline.

At the basement level the central bays contain one paired window opening flanked by two single windows opening-all infilled with brick. The north bay contains a single small window; the south bay contains no fenestration.

The ground floor and first floor are identical and contain a single paired window.

The second floor features a door opening at the central bay flanked by paired window openings.

The secondary north elevation is five bays wide. The basement level is partially exposed, with a window well carved into the area at the northwest of the building. Limestone spandrels are located between first and second floors and above the second floor. A secondary entrance is located at the basement level within an arched limestone surround. The entrance features a boarded arched transom and modern double-leaf meal doors that are also boarded.

The basement level contains multiple boarded window openings with modern security grilles.

The ground floor and first floor are identical with five windows in each bay. Over the entrance are single windows.

The second floor contains two windows in each bay with two levels of windows separated by a brick and limestone spandrel. Over the entrance is a single window.

The secondary east elevation is three bays wide. The basement is below grade at this elevation. Limestone cornices are located between the first and second floors and above the second floor. The 1926 Pedestrian Bridge connects to the elevation to the north of the elevation in the north bay at the second floor. The brick surrounding the bridge remains in poor condition, with areas of efflorescence, staining, and missing mortar joints.

A secondary entrance is centrally located at the ground floor at grade. The entrance contains modern metal double leaf doors within an ornamental limestone surround. Two small window openings are located to the south of the entrance bay. A paired window 1s located in the southernmost bay. At the first floor, a paired window is located above the entrance. The remainder of the first floor is identical to the ground floor. The second floor contains two double-height paired windows in the central and south bays. The Pedestrian Bridge is located at the north bay.

The building has sustained limited alterations since its construction in 1926. Windows and entry doors have been replaced, which are typical modifications made to school buildings. Modern lighting is populated throughout the building.

The roof of the building is flat. Modern fixtures and metal coverings are located at each tier, set back about five feet from the south and west elevation rooflines. Modern mechanical equipment is located to the north of the roof within the brick penthouse.

The interior historically housed classrooms, gymnasiums, and a pool. The classrooms are located at the basement level and the first floor. Gymnasiums are located at the second floor and are double-height spaces. An east-west corridor at the north of the building at the second floor connects to the pedestrian bridge. The basement houses the pool. The primary entrance at the south elevation and the secondary entrance at the north elevation access the basement level. The entrance located at the east elevation access the ground floor. Finishes within the corridors and classrooms the building are similar to the 1914-24 Building and remain in poor condition.

The first floor is arranged on a central corridor that provides access to classrooms, bathrooms, and stairwells. The building is served by two concrete stairs located centrally within the building, accessible by the south elevation entrance or by the interior corridor.

Second Floor: The second-floor houses two double-height gymnasiums at the east and west ends of the building. Between the gymnasiums are a series of offices and locker rooms. A single-loaded corridor at the north edge of the building accesses the gymnasiums. The gymnasiums are utilitarian in design and contain hardwood floors, gypsum board ceilings, and brick walls. The office and locker rooms are utilitarian in design with terrazzo and mosaic tile floors, brick and speed tile walls, metal lockers, and painted concrete ceilings. A central metal stair accesses the third floor.

The second floor mezzanine houses offices and an observation deck that formerly overlooked the west gymnasium. The deck was infilled with gypsum wall board in recent decades.

The basement level houses the pool, showers, and locker rooms. The pool is located to the west of the floor, accessible by a stair hall and locker rooms. Finishes within the pool include mosaic tile floors, brick walls, and acoustic ceiling tile. The pool features subway tile and a stone tile ledge at the perimeter. A raised concrete observation deck with mosaic tile floors is located adjacent to the pool. Locker rooms are utilitarian in design and contain exposed concrete floors, brick walls, and painted concrete ceilings.

The building retains aspects of its original floor plan and finishes, though the condition of many features is poor following a long period of vacancy and lack of maintenance in recent years. In particular, the corridor at the second floor which connects to the Pedestrian Bridge remains in extremely poor condition with significant water infiltration. The gymnasium floors are severely water damaged and are extremely buckled. The overall interior of the building has been modernized with new mechanical equipment as is typical of school buildings.

The Pedestrian Bridge is utilitarian in design with four boarded window openings at the north and south elevations. The exterior is clad in painted metal cladding.

The bridge connects to the second-floor stair landing at the 1914-1924 Building and the corridor at the 1926 Annex Building. When the bridge was installed new openings were created in the exterior brick of the 1914-1924 Building to provide access. At the interior, the bridge is severely water damaged. The gypsum board walls, ceilings, and terrazzo floors are all water damaged. Double leaf metal doors enclose the bridge at the Annex Building side.

Significant alterations to the 1926 pedestrian bridge were conducted in the late 20^th century, painting and partial replacement of the iron cladding to the structure, and the infilling of window openings. The structure remains in poor condition, and is causing damage to the interior of the 1914-1924 and 1926 buildings.