Clifford B. Connelly Trade School, Schulgebäude in den Vereinigten Staaten
Clifford B. Connelly Trade School is a vocational education building constructed in 1930 in the neoclassical style, set on a hill in Pittsburgh's Hill District neighborhood. The structure housed classrooms and large workshop spaces where students learned hands-on trades including bricklaying, plumbing, electrical work, and carpentry, along with science labs, a gymnasium with swimming pool, and an auditorium for assemblies and instruction.
The school opened in 1930 as one of the largest and most modern vocational institutions in the country, responding to demand for skilled workers in industry. During World War II, it played a crucial role in training workers for defense manufacturing, with many shop areas operating on double shifts to support weapons and vehicle production.
The school was named after Clifford Brown Connelley, a vocational education leader who founded Pittsburgh's first trade school and shaped the city's approach to job training. Walking through the space today, visitors can sense how deeply this building was woven into the local community's hopes for economic opportunity and skilled work.
The building sits prominently on a hill with good visibility from main streets in the Hill District neighborhood. The grounds are spacious and easy to navigate, with green areas and water management features that make the site feel open and welcoming for walking around.
The site was deliberately placed on a hill to distance it from the city's air pollution, a forward-thinking choice when the school was built. After closing in 2004, the building was transformed into the Energy Innovation Center, featuring modern elements like a large wind turbine and rainwater absorption systems that carry forward its legacy as a place of learning.
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