Fifth Avenue High School
Encyclopedia
Fifth Avenue High School is a defunct school located at 1800 Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
's Bluff
neighborhood.
Built in 1894 as a large Romanesque
/Gothic Revival building, it served the Pittsburgh Public Schools
until its closure in 1976. Since then the building has sat empty, boarded up and fenced off.
Fifth Avenue was the first fireproof school in Pennsylvania and was home to the Alpha Chapter of the National Honor Society
. Its colors were red and white, and the mascot was the Archer, so chosen because of the school's remarkable architecture and hallways filled with Gothic and Victorian arches lined with red and white tile.
Fifth Avenue was a dominant force in city sports, winning the state title in its last year open for basketball. The school served the Lower Hill District, while its main rival, Schenley High School
, served the upper and middle Hill.
The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 1986 and was listed as a Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation landmark in 1998 and a City of Pittsburgh landmark in 1999.
The school is currently in the process of being renovated and converted into loft apartments by a Pittsburgh-based investor group. The project is expected to be completed by late 2012.
Among its alumni is longtime forensic doctor, medical examiner and attorney Cyril Wecht
.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
's Bluff
Bluff (Pittsburgh)
The Bluff or Uptown is a neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the southeast of the city's Central Business District. It is bordered in the north by the Hill District and just a short trip across the Monongahela River is the city's South Side, which is home to a flourishing...
neighborhood.
Built in 1894 as a large Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
/Gothic Revival building, it served the Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools is the public school district in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and adjacent Mount Oliver.The combined land area of these municipalities is with a population of 342,503 according to the 2000 census. In August 2005, the superintendent became Mark Roosevelt. His tenure ends...
until its closure in 1976. Since then the building has sat empty, boarded up and fenced off.
Fifth Avenue was the first fireproof school in Pennsylvania and was home to the Alpha Chapter of the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
. Its colors were red and white, and the mascot was the Archer, so chosen because of the school's remarkable architecture and hallways filled with Gothic and Victorian arches lined with red and white tile.
Fifth Avenue was a dominant force in city sports, winning the state title in its last year open for basketball. The school served the Lower Hill District, while its main rival, Schenley High School
Schenley High School
Schenley High School is both a public school building and a school program that closed with the graduating class of 2011. Schenley High School is located in the North Oakland neighborhood at the edge of the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2008 the school's staff and...
, served the upper and middle Hill.
The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986 and was listed as a Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation landmark in 1998 and a City of Pittsburgh landmark in 1999.
The school is currently in the process of being renovated and converted into loft apartments by a Pittsburgh-based investor group. The project is expected to be completed by late 2012.
Among its alumni is longtime forensic doctor, medical examiner and attorney Cyril Wecht
Cyril Wecht
Dr. Cyril Harrison Wecht is an American forensic pathologist. He has been a consultant in numerous high-profile cases, but is perhaps best known for his criticism of the Warren Commission's findings concerning the assassination of John F...
.