Summary
West Philadelphia High School is a secondary school located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the intersection of 49th Street and Chestnut Street.[3]
| West Philadelphia High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
4901 Chestnut St. , 19139 | |
| Coordinates | 39°57′29″N 75°13′11″W / 39.9581°N 75.2196°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Motto | Where Every Student Thrives! |
| Established | 1912 |
| School district | School District of Philadelphia |
| Principal | Marla Travis |
| Staff | 32.70 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 460 (2017–18)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.07[1] |
| Color(s) | Orange and Blue |
| Nickname | Speedboys and Speedgirls |
| Yearbook | The Flame |
| Website | wphs |
West Philadelphia High School | |
 The original West Philadelphia High School | |
    | |
| Location | 4700 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 39°57′20″N 75°13′00″W / 39.9555°N 75.2167°W |
| Area | West Philadelphia |
| Built | 1912 |
| Architect | Henry deCoursey Richards, Grays & Co. |
| MPS | Philadelphia Public Schools TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 86003345[2] |
| Added to NRHP | December 4, 1986 |
History edit
20th century edit
The original West Philadelphia High School (WPHS) building opened in 1912 as Philadelphia's first secondary school west of the Schuylkill, occupying an entire city block bounded by 47th, 48th, Walnut, and Locust Streets. The student population at that time was in excess of 5,500.[3] Such was the press on the new high school, which originally stood as two separate buildings for boys and girls, that the City was compelled to open Overbrook High School in 1926. A third high school, John Bartram, followed in 1935.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[2]
WPHS's athletic field, which is located at 48th and Spruce Street, was formerly known as Passon Field and home to Negro league baseball in the 1930s. It was the home field of the Eastern Colored League's Philadelphia Bacharach Giants starting in 1931, and the Negro National League's Philadelphia Stars in 1934 and 1935. In 1936, the Stars moved to Penmar Park at 44th and Parkside, where they played the majority of their home games through their final season in 1952. The field is still in use by West Philadelphia High School's football and baseball teams.[4]
21st century edit
In September 2011, the school moved to a new building at its current building at 49th and Chestnut Streets. The new building is much smaller due to reduced enrollment at the high school.[5] The former building at 47th Street & Walnut Street was converted into housing as the West Lofts, for about 268 apartments.[6]
In June 2013, the school district allowed the Sustainability Workshop to take all of the space in the auto mechanic building, prompting community opposition.[7]
In November 2016, the water from some faucets at the high school was found to be discolored, and was declared unsafe by school officials the following month.[8]
Small learning communities edit
- AUTO: Automotive Academy
- B&T: Business and Technology
- UL: Urban Leadership
- 9: Ninth Grade Success Academy
- CAPA: Creative & Performing Arts
Sports programs and extracurricular activities edit
- Cheerleading Squad
- Dance Club
- Musicals
- Choir
- Volleyball
- Baseball
- Boys Basketball - 1977 national champions
- Girls Basketball
- Football
- Track
Notable alumni edit
- Peter Boyle, actor, Everybody Loves Raymond
- Gene Banks, professional basketball player, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs
- Tyrell Biggs, heavyweight boxing champion, 1984 Summer Olympics
- John McDermott, first American U.S. Open golf tournament winner, 1911
- Anne Rudin, former Mayor of Sacramento, 1983 to 1992[9]
- Ray Scott, former professional basketball player and coach, Detroit Pistons
- Art Spector, former professional basketball player, Boston Celtics
- McCoy Tyner, Grammy award-winning jazz pianist
- LeAnna Washington, former Pennsylvania state senator
References edit
- ^ a b c "West Philadelphia HS". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b "West Philadelphia High School". The School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
- ^ Healy, Paul (2003–2005). "Passon Field". Project Ballpark. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ Kerkstra, Patrick (January 6, 2012). "How the fate of the old West High may be hinged to far West Philly revival". PlanPhilly. WHYY-FM. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "West Lofts billed as luxury apartments – but residents say they're roughing it". Philly Voice. January 15, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
- ^ Denvir, Daniel (2013-06-14). "West Philly High auto program takeover prompts sharp criticism". Philadelphia City Paper. Archived from the original on 2013-06-23. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
- ^ Grant, Kristen (December 9, 2016). "West Philly High School's water safety in doubt". Philadelphia Media Network. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
- ^ Rudin, Anne. "Autobiographical Notes" (PDF). Retrieved 2 April 2022.
External links edit
- Official website
- Public School Insights Story on WPHS