Anthony Wayne appears to be still under construction in the photo below. The original plans for the stately, white brick school building were for 15 classrooms, a playroom, a reading room, and an office. Anthony Wayne was the last elementary school to be built in the Ambridge Borough.
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| Anthony Wayne Elementary School Daily Times supplement? August 10, 1929 Louis Vukovcan Collection |
I know some people seeing that photo might say, "That's not Anthony Wayne School. The building looks nothing like that."
True, the current Anthony Wayne building doesn't look like the school in the 1929 photo, but it did before an extensive 1965 renovation.
The 1937 snapshot of Anthony Wayne School below belonged to my grandmother, Mary Gause.
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| Anthony Wayne School May 18, 1937 credit: Mary Gause |
My grandmother also owned my uncle Peter Gause, Jr.'s class photo, taken in front of Anthony Wayne School. I'm not sure of the grade. In May 1937, he would have been 9 years old.
The photo below shows the Anthony Wayne building that I remember from my growing up years in the 1950s and early 1960s, when I frequented its playground and attended the summer playground program. The front doesn't look any different than it did in 1929 or 1937.
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Many former Anthony Wayne students and staff members remember my mom, Agatha (Gay) Bohinsky, who worked as a "lunch lady" at the school for many years before it closed.
My two strongest personal memories of the Anthony Wayne School's playground are: the tall metal sliding board that would burn your butt when you used it on sunny days; and the time a group of boys took my younger sister's new bike from her while we were there. The boys eventually returned the bike, thanks in no small part to my dad arriving at the playground.
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| Class photo Anthony Wayne School May 18, 1937 owned by Mary Gause |
The photo below shows the Anthony Wayne building that I remember from my growing up years in the 1950s and early 1960s, when I frequented its playground and attended the summer playground program. The front doesn't look any different than it did in 1929 or 1937.
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| Anthony Wayne Grade School Daily Citizen June 25, 1954 |
With the 1965 renovation came new enhancements like a school library, the first in an Ambridge elementary school, and a cafeteria, I believe another first. A new multipurpose room with stage, showers, lockers, and toilets was heralded as not only a step-up for the school, but also as a place for community activities.
Times caption:
Times caption:
The renovated school looks nothing like the original building. It's hard to believe that it's the same school.
As a result of declining school enrollments in Ambridge, the school district closed the other elementary public schools--First Ward, Second Ward, Fourth Ward, Harmony, Liberty, and Park Road--over a number of years. Anthony Wayne, the last remaining public elementary school in the borough, was closed in June 2004. Ambridge elementary students now attend Harmony Township's Highland School. No public elementary school currently operates within the Ambridge Borough.
After Anthony Wayne School closed, the building remained and was used by other schools for periods. During the 2005 - 2007 school years, it was used by the Quaker Valley School District when two of its elementary schools were being renovated. From 2014 - 2016 the building was leased to the Watson Institute, which provides education services and programs to children with special needs. The building remained vacant after 2016.
The school was sold, then razed in 2022.
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| Anthony Wayne School renovation Beaver County Times November 6, 1965 |
Times caption:
ANTHONY WAYNE SCHOOL - Work on the renovation and enlarging project at Anthony Wayne Elementary School, Ambridge, is moving on schedule. Work is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 1966 - 67 school term. Children are attending classes at the building while improvements are being made. The size of the building will be about doubled when the project is completed.
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| Anthony Wayne Elementary renovation Beaver County Times November 20, 1965 |
Times caption:
SCHOOL RENOVATION PROJECT - Work is progressing on the Anthony Wayne Elementary School Renovation and enlarging project in Ambridge. The capacity of the building will be doubled when work is completed. The project is expected to be completed before the 1966-67 school term starts next September. When completed, the new building will contain 19 classrooms, two kindergarten rooms, a library, cafeteria, principal's office, conference room, waiting room, clerical office, itinerant staff planning room, counseling room, health suite, two teachers' lounges and an instructional planning center. The new library will be the first one for an Ambridge elementary school.
The renovated school looks nothing like the original building. It's hard to believe that it's the same school.
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| Anthony Wayne Elementary School November 20, 2013 credit: Nancy Knisley |
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| Anthony Wayne Elementary School November 20, 2013 credit: Nancy Knisley |
As a result of declining school enrollments in Ambridge, the school district closed the other elementary public schools--First Ward, Second Ward, Fourth Ward, Harmony, Liberty, and Park Road--over a number of years. Anthony Wayne, the last remaining public elementary school in the borough, was closed in June 2004. Ambridge elementary students now attend Harmony Township's Highland School. No public elementary school currently operates within the Ambridge Borough.
After Anthony Wayne School closed, the building remained and was used by other schools for periods. During the 2005 - 2007 school years, it was used by the Quaker Valley School District when two of its elementary schools were being renovated. From 2014 - 2016 the building was leased to the Watson Institute, which provides education services and programs to children with special needs. The building remained vacant after 2016.
The school was sold, then razed in 2022.
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| Anthony Wayne School demolition September 20, 2022 credit: Nadine Palichat |
For more photos of the razing of Anthony Wayne School, click here:
https://ambridgememories.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-razing-of-ambridges-anthony-wayne.html
https://ambridgememories.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-razing-of-ambridges-anthony-wayne.html
_____
Many former Anthony Wayne students and staff members remember my mom, Agatha (Gay) Bohinsky, who worked as a "lunch lady" at the school for many years before it closed.
My two strongest personal memories of the Anthony Wayne School's playground are: the tall metal sliding board that would burn your butt when you used it on sunny days; and the time a group of boys took my younger sister's new bike from her while we were there. The boys eventually returned the bike, thanks in no small part to my dad arriving at the playground.
I went to school here, briefly, in 1969 I believe, when I was four going on five. My lasting memory of my time there was the day my kindergarten teacher told me I could no longer attend as a result of my bad behavior.
ReplyDeleteI remember Mr Joyner the art teacher ..Mr McGee the principal ms yearly ..And Mr spatiola the music teacher ..Ms riguino the 3rd grade teacher and ms Fardo the 1st grade teacher I went there in 1997 & 1998
ReplyDeleteAs did I remember the art teacher back and forth back and forth all the way down to the bottom! We all probably spent the 9 bucks a a flute for Mr. Spatiaolad music class and had to do singing lessons singing in front of the whole class!
DeleteI went there as well during the same years 97-99, i also had mr.joyner, Mr.Spatiola, i remember Mr.Mcgee, Ms.Yearly, and Ms.Fardo, Ms.Lesquinn and Mrs.riguino
DeleteDamn i stg, u just made me curious as to who you are, we had to of went to school together, i remember mr.joyners coloring technique lol and singing in mr.spatiolas class
DeleteI remember Mr Joyner .... Mr McGee the principal..... ms yearly.... Mr spatiola the music teacher and ms Fardo the first grade teacher I went there in 1997-1998 & 1999
ReplyDeleteI did those same years as well and had those same teachers my name was Devin “Bos Mane Beezy” on FB
DeleteThe Cramer family, 5 of 6 of us attended Anthony Wayne back around 1969 and I remember falling off the big metal slide and landing square on my head which the pavement made even more painful. I made a trip back a few years ago and was so disappointed to see the school semi operating and the degradation of Ambridge overall. So sad. We used to go to Nationality Days back when the steel mills were operating and G.C Murphy was there. Used to be a mirror on the side of a building that my older brothers convinced us if we looked into it that we would see the monkeys. LOL! I never did. It was nice to see my old hometown again but so sad to see all those homes in disrepair and downtown such a empty sight. Would love to see it brought back to the town we speak about so highly. Don
ReplyDeleteI loved Anthony Wayne,my 2 oldest sons attended there for a few years before they closed it,I remember my sons coming home really excited telling me they seen my name on the board in the gym ,no one beat my record for the step step jump😁😁😁😉😉😉
ReplyDelete