Strong Vincent High School

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Strong Vincent High School

• 1330 West 8th Street, Erie, PA
• Opened in 1930
• Architects Meyers and Johnson

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Welcome
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Strong Vincent in 2009
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Strong Vincent in 1930
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• Meyers and Johnson
• William W. Meyers and William P. Johnson
• Chiseled stone block with erection date.

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• Contractor for Strong Vincent High School was the
• Upton-Lang Company
• Above is the advertisement for the company in
  the 1926 Erie City Directory

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A Brief History OfStrong Vincent High School

• Strong Vincent High School was authorized for
  construction by the Erie School Board in 1928.
  It opened in 1930 as a senior high school for
  tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders.
• The school initially was to be named West High to
  compliment the already standing East High, but
  local veteran groups pushed for the school to be
  named after General Strong Vincent.
• The total cost to build the school was
  1,333,365.00 (Anderson 1976109).

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General Strong Vincent

• General Strong Vincent was a native of Erie.
• Vincent graduated from Harvard and was practicing
  law in Erie when the Civil War erupted.
• He joined the 83rd Regiment, Pennsylvania
  Volunteers in 1861. Three years later Vincent
  would die in defense of the Union at the Battle
  of Gettysburg. (Moore 193827)

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Craftsmanship and beauty from another time . . .

• Exterior
• Copper lanterns and coffered portico soffit
• Cartouches in the shape of a pedimented window
• Full-story portico with molded imagery and clock
• Balustrade railings
• Interior
• Soapstone carved fireplace mantel
• Stucco molding and coffered ceilings
• Carved wood doorway surrounds
• Water fountain tile backsplashes

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Copper lantern and coffered portico soffit.
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Cartouche in the shape of a pedimented window.
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Full-story portico and molded imagery and clock.
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Balustrade railings.
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Soapstone fireplace mantel in library.
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Stucco molding and coffered ceilings in library
and auditorium.
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Carved wood doorway surrounds.
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Water fountain alcove and tile backsplash.
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A SCHOOL IS MORE THAN FOUR WALLS BUILT FOR
LEARNING

The spirit of the school must be such that every
individual is anxious to cooperate with the
others in making that institution a good place to
learn Templeton
Labor is mans greatest function he is nothing he
can do nothing he can achieve nothing he can
fulfill nothing without working Dewey
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Bibliography
Anderson, Frank S. 1976 A history of the school
district of the city of Erie, Pa., 1795-1970.
The School District of the City of Erie, Erie,
PA. Atkinson, William P. 1930 Atkinsons
City Directory. Atkinson Erie Directory Company,
The Erie Printing Company, Erie,
PA. Moore, George O. 1938 Brief History
of Erie Public Schools. The School District of
the City of Erie, Erie, PA. R. L. Polk and
Company Publishers 1926 Erie City Directory.
R. L. Polk and Company Publishers, Malden, MA.
Sanborn Map Company 1951 Insurance Map of
Erie, PA., Volume 2. Sanborn Map Company,
NY. The Pennsylvania Historic Schools Task
Force 2006 Renovate or Replace? The case for
restoring and reusing older school buildings.
ed. Thomas Hylton, Save Our Lands, Save Our
Towns, Inc., Pottstown, PA.
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Produced and Compiled by K. L.
SantangeloMERCYHURST COLLEGE