Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Demolition of the J.W. Cooper School in Shenandoah Begins

On Monday, demolition crews began to bring down the structure of the J.W. Cooper School in Shenandoah.

News on the demolition of the school follows recent events where a back wall collapse occurred on North Lehigh Street, resulting in a block wall tumbling onto the street.

Property owner Kent Steinmetz promptly announced the decision to proceed with the demolition. Efforts to clear out remaining storage items from the property have been ongoing since then.

On Monday, work began on the demolition and after one day, a good portion of the school had been torn down.  

There has been no indication regarding future plans for the property post-demolition.

The school originally opened as a High School in 1919, and would later become the Shenandoah Valley's elementary school. The school was the first of its kind in Pennsylvania to have its own swimming pool inside.

Photo from April 18th, 2024

Photo from April 18th, 2024