Washington Education Center, former school building in Pittsburgh
The Washington Education Center is a large school building in Lawrenceville that opened as an elementary school around 1868 and was expanded and rebuilt as a vocational high school in the 1930s. The structure blends Late Victorian and Art Deco styles with simple brickwork and distinctive window arrangements throughout its facade.
An elementary school was established on the site around 1868, but the building was replaced with a larger structure in 1908 and fundamentally redesigned in 1936-1937 by architects Charles W. Bier and Marion M. Steen. This transformation created a vocational high school focused on trade skills that served hundreds of students.
The building is named after George Washington, honoring his crossing of the nearby river. This connection ties the school to a significant local event and roots the place in the community's history.
The building is located on 40th Street in Lawrenceville and now operates as the TRYP by Wyndham Pittsburgh/Lawrenceville Hotel with public areas and restaurants. Visitors can view the historic architecture and several original features that were preserved during the conversion of the space.
The building preserved some of its original spaces where students once learned trade skills like bricklaying, printing, and drafting techniques. The conserved 384-seat auditorium still gives visitors a sense of how the school once operated during its decades of teaching.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
