Case Studies
21
The Story
The former Perkiomen Valley Middle
School—originally the Collegeville-Trappe
Senior High School—was built by the
Works Progress Administration in 1939. It
functioned as a grades 5—8 middle school
from 1978—1996 when it was closed
by the Perkiomen Valley School District
following the school’s relocation and
consolidation to a more modern building.
Distinctive features remained in the building,
including murals and a basement shooting
range.
From 1996 until the building was
permanently closed in 2006, the school
district was able to lease parts of the
building and grounds to a variety of
users including the Montgomery County
Intermediate Unit, the Methacton
Community Theater, and the YMCA.
After 2006, the building remained vacant,
slowly deteriorating. Over the years,
developers explored redevelopment options,
recommending the demolition of the building
for the construction of new townhomes.
The distinctive neo-Colonial stone building
was acquired by the developer, Gorski
Engineering, in 2014. Prior to that, a series
of redevelopment proposals were considered
and rejected because they did not reuse the
historic school building. Commercial use
of the building was also considered, but
local officials, in discussion with neighbors,
strongly preferred a residential use of the
building and school property.
“The former Perkiomen Valley Middle School was accepted
in the community as a permanent fixture.”
– Fred Schuetz
Former Trappe Borough Council Member
Casement windows need replacement. Gutter and roof systems were major project costs.
Playing fields offer a new development site to enhance the project’s viability.
