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There are many reasons why historic school buildings are at risk. Commonly, a school district may choose to abandon a historic school in favor of new construction due to misconceptions about rehabilitating historic buildings. Historic schools are also at risk due to years of deferred maintenance, which may make the building appear beyond repair: structural integrity is questioned, mechanical systems may be outdated, and hazardous materials may be present. In addition, school boards, administrators, and architects may be wary of preservation-oriented laws and guidelines and perceive them as prohibitive and requiring burdensome reviews. Sometimes state education policies are misinterpreted and seen to favor new construction over rehabilitation of historic buildings.
However, historic schools can be successfully rehabilitated to satisfy contemporary needs through the installation of modern wiring, elevators, technology, and HVAC systems that may meet or exceed guidelines set forth by state and federal policy.
In response to several calls for assistance from concerned citizens, historic schools were featured on the Pennsylvania at Risk list in 1998 (the Commonwealth's most endangered historic places compiled annually by Preservation Pennsylvania).
A cursory inventory identified 56 schools as threatened with closure. Similarly, the National Trust for Historic Preservation selected historic neighborhood schools to be on the Eleven Most Endangered Places in 2000 to increase public awareness. As a result, statewide and national attention has been focused on the threats to and the value of historic school buildings.
Learn more at:
Preservation Pennsylvania's Pennsylvania at Risk
www.preservationpa.org/programs/paatrisk/index.php
National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 Most Endangered Places
www.preservationnation.org/issues/11-most-endangered/
www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/nationwide/historic-neighborhood-schools.html
