Posted in Pittsburgh August 15, 2016 by Beth Price-Williams

The Remnants Of Abandoned Larimer School In Pittsburgh Are Hauntingly Beautiful

Standing stoically in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Larimer, the abandoned Larimer School lays claim to a storied past, a tragic present, and the possibility of a pretty amazing future. Despite its current abandoned status, the former elementary school has earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places because of its storied past.

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Designed by Ulysses J. Lincoln Peoples, a well-known architect in Pittsburgh, Larimer School's construction costs tallied $80,000 in 1896 due, in part, to the marble wainscoting and the terrazzo floors.

The Romanesque-style building earned its name from William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver City in Colorado and the entrepreneur behind Pittsburgh's first Conestoga Wagon business.

The main building, however, proved insufficient and several wings were added during Larimer School's history.

Peoples designed the addition of 13 classrooms in 1904, which came with a $100,000 price tag.

Architect George Rowland designed the final touches to Larimer School – the auditorium (check out the video at the end of the article for a glimpse at the auditorium today) and the gym.

Declining enrollment led to the permanent closing of Larimer School in 1980. Six years later, the hauntingly beautiful building earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

Since then, ownership of the building has exchanged hands several times. The current developer of the abandoned school, KBK Enterprises with Fishers of Men, plans to convert the building into affordable housing for Pittsburghers.

Click the play button below to go on a haunting tour of Larimer School’s abandoned auditorium.

Abandoned Larimer School may not remain abandoned for much longer but it is certainly not the only abandoned spot in the Pittsburgh area. Click here to read about five abandoned places in Pittsburgh that are being reclaimed Mother Nature.