Former Connellsville High School, Connellsville, PA 6-29-09 by Dan Holland

The Connellsville High School was designed and built in 1916 by the W.G. Eckles firm of New Castle, PA. Founded in 1898, W.G. Eckles Co. is still a practicing firm currently under the name of Eckles Architecture and Engineering. (www.ecklesgroup.com /) The firm still operates out of New Castle. W.G. Eckles was a prominent architect of schools and public buildings. Choosing not to cater to a clientèle in Pittsburgh proper and compete with the many other architects located there, Eckles instead designed and built in the areas outside of the city and in Ohio. A fair number of the firm's early buildings can still be found, but a large majority have been demolished. Being of a fairly common design for High Schools of the day, the Connellsville High School once had a twin in Niles, Ohio--that building has since been demolished as recently as the 1990s. (www.oldohioschools.com/trumbull_county_files/Trumbull%20niles%20HS%202.jpg )
The Connellsville High School served as a high school until the construction of the Connellsville Joint High School in 1955. The building then served as a junior high school until the completion of the current Connellsville Area Senior High School in 1971-2. After ceasing to function in an educational capacity, the Connellsville High School remained vacant from 1972 until 1981-2 when it was reopened as the Connellsville Community Center. In addition to being a community center, the building also serves as a school for troubled youth.

The structure of the building is steel with a facade of raked, red brick and sandstone. On the interior, the building retains many of its original features including a swimming pool finished in mosaic tile and accessed via a spiral stair from the locker rooms, an expansive gymnasium with seating recessed into the walls on either side of the court, and a two level auditorium complete with orchestra pit and orignal wooden seats. Above the proscenium arch in the auditorium is painted the phrase, "The Truth Will Make You Free". The auditorium recently underwent an extensive restoration. The exterior integrity of the building has been jeopardized by the replacement of original windows, but the building is still remarkably intact.

Exterior Photos:

Building Shortly After Completion: www.flickr.com/photos/39996774@N05/3681010556 /
Interior Photos:

3rd Floor Corridor: www.flickr.com/photos/39996774@N05/3680153389 /
Gymnasium: www.flickr.com/photos/39996774@N05/3680967968 /
Pool: www.flickr.com/photos/39996774@N05/3680967488 /
Auditorium: www.flickr.com/photos/39996774@N05/3680151945 /