ASPINWALL and VICINITY
Aspinwall, Pennsylvania, 1931
by Ethelwynne Boyd

Pages 5 & 6: ... The growth of the educational and religious life of the borough shows the progressive spirit of the residents. A small log house of one room, built in the side of the hill on the Stone property just west of Aspinwall, housed the first school. Later the one-room school, built at the corner of Center Avenue and Fifth Street, was taught by Miss Emma Williams, who was succeeded by Miss Weible. Two years later Mr. Herle was chosen principal with Miss Margaret Patton as primary assistant. In a few more years two more rooms were added, and Misses Slusser, Pressly and Anna Duncan joined the teaching staff. The first high school was opened, in 1900 with Mr. C. A. Barr, now State Senator from Pennsylvania, as principal, who was succeeded by Mr. E. J. Robinson in 1902. During this administration a new addition was added to the Grade Building in which was housed the High School and an auditorium with a seating capacity of seven hundred and fifty; the school enrollment increased to three hundred and seventy pupils with a staff of nine teachers. In 1903 the first class of nine members was graduated from the Aspinwall High School. Contrast this with the present enrollment of eight hundred and fifty-two pupils, and thirty-two teachers, including the supervising principal, and the 1931 graduating class numbering seventy-nine. Mr. Robinson continued as head of the schools until 1917 when Mr. F. D. Keboch became supervising principal. In 1917 a bond issue was passed providing for a new Junior-Senior High School, which was erected in 1918. This building contains twenty class rooms, a library, a well-equipped gymnasium, physics and chemistry laboratories, a domestic science room, and a commercial department and a large assembly hall. This hall serves as a community center where public gatherings and entertainments are held. The library, one of the finest school libraries in the state of Pennsylvania, has over four thousand of the best and most approved books of all kinds, including a large number of the best reference books, and twenty of the leading magazines. The Shakespeare Club and Woman's Club of Aspinwall aided materially in founding the library. The interest of the community in education is further shown by the fact that over fifty percent of the high school graduates go to schools of higher learning. The average annual drop-outs in the public school are six or seven pupils. The high school offers four years' instruction in Academic, Scientific, and Commercial Courses, and its graduates are granted admission to all the leading colleges of the country. Courses are also offered in art and music; and [a] special orchestra, composed of pupils, is directed by the supervising principal. On the walls of the corridors and the rooms of the school building are hung copies, neatly framed, of many of the master works of art. In September, 1925, a parochial school was opened with one hundred and twenty five pupils who formerly attended the public school. This school now has an enrollment of over two hundred and fifty.... Page 7: ... In the fall of 1928 the voters authorized by a five to one vote a $40,000 Bond Issue by the Borough and a $40,000 Bond Issue by the School Board for the purchase of seven and three-tenths acres of land from the Darlington heirs situated on the western boundary of Aspinwall to be used for a recreation park. A football field, a baseball field, tennis courts, etc. will be provided and the ground used for general recreation purposes as needed, and will be under the joint supervision of the Borough and the School Board. It is interesting to note that this recreation park is part of the land owned by Guyasutha in 1753.... Page 8: ... Since Aspinwall is a residential community, over two-thirds of the families own their own homes and take special pride in keeping up the general appearance of their properties and the borough as a whole. The Alma Mater composed by Lee Mochler of the Class of 1930, Aspinwall High School, voices the pride of the people in the school. ALMA MATER Close beside the Allegheny Hill and vale serene, Stands our own, our Alma Mater, Aspinwall, our Queen. CHORUS On ye sons and come ye daughters, Fight the good old fight -- Honor Aspinwall forever, Hail, Maroon and White. [Note: prior to 1955, line 1 became "All ye sons and all ye daughters,"] There she stands in all her glory, Loved by one and all, Here's to you our Alma Mater, Dear Old Aspinwall.

Thanks to Carolyn McQuaid Thomas for excerpting this brief history she found in a booklet,
Aspinwall and Vicinity by Ethelwynne Boyd, March 1931.