Restoration work is underway for the historic building that houses the arts-based charter high school.
Fire broke out in June
The Westinghouse Airbrake Company General Officer Building, known to some as the "Castle", a historic landmark in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, was damaged by a fire on June 28, 2024. The fire started in the 5th Floor attic and spread to the roof, causing smoke and water damage to the rest of the building. The building is home to the Westinghouse Arts Academy, a charter school, that offers tuition-free, arts based, high-school education to students in grades 9-12. The fire has been determined to be accidental, and started in the floor of the 5th floor, by the Wilmerding Fire Marshall, Al Hussey.
Everyone evacuated safely
According to the school's principal and acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Kelly Lombard, no students or staff were injured in the fire, as everyone was able to evacuate quickly and safely. Dr. Lombard also praised the efforts of "the firefighters, police, and other emergency responders who contained the fire and prevented further damage." She also thanked the community for its support and donations in the aftermath of the fire. The School owns the old Westinghouse Memorial School building next door to the Castle and leases the Castle building and surrounding property.
Restoration work is underway
The restoration work is underway for the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school hired ServPro from North Versailles, which has brought in a ServPro national operations crew, to handle the immediate fire stabilization efforts of water extraction and cleaning. SerPro is also serving as the general contractor for the construction work associated with the fire related repairs to the lower floors of the Castle, that the school is currently occupying, as well as the historic red slate roof. Bill Malloy, General Partner of the owner Westinghouse Castle, LP, stated that "ServPro is doing an amazing job and will be completing the drying of the first two floors that the school occupies, as well as the removal of most of the affected drywall, on Sunday, July 14th."
Utica National Insurance, which has assigned adjusters, engineers, and consultants to the project, is the insurer of the building. Dr. Lombard stated that Utica's consultant, Richard Mouris, Assistant Vice President of J.S. Held, LLC, confirmed on Friday that Utica National Insurance and its onsite partners "are committed to restoring the historic property to its pre-loss condition."
According to Williams Castillo, Large Loss Project Manager from ServPro, the company is on target to complete all of the fire restoration work for the school's occupied floors, as well as the temporary roof, before August 12th to ensure that the school's operations are not impaired for the start of school. Roberts Roofing is currently working on the temporary roof repairs and engineers are evaluating the components to the roof that were damaged by the fire to complete the scope of work for the complete restoration of the historic slate roof.
Upcoming Local Events
Building owner, Westinghouse Castle, LP, has been working since 2021 with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's State Preservation Officer, as well as the US Department of the Interior, to preserve the architectural and historical features of the building, which was built in 1890 by George Westinghouse, a pioneer of the electrical and railroad industries. The historic preservation project has been proceeding in phases according to Malloy. The preservation of the lower two floors has been approved, and completed, and the work on the upper floors is ongoing. The phase that will be completed by the end of 2024, is the preservation of the historic features of the 3rd and 4th floors which include George Westinghouse's office on the 3rd floor. Thereafter, as the Westinghouse Arts Academy student population continues to grow, the school will occupy those floors as well. "Fortunately, with the fast reaction to the fire so far, and continued cooperation by Utica National Insurance company partners and the contractors, the overall historic restoration project will not be delayed or impaired by the fire," Malloy stated.
Classes to resume in August without delay
Dr. Lombard said that "classes will resume on August 19, 2024, and teachers will return on August 12th, for the new academic year. The school fully expects that Utica insurance company and the contractors will get the Castle ready for August 12th. However, should there be any unforeseen delays, the school is prepared to use temporary classrooms." She assured parents and students that the quality of education and the safety of the school community will not be compromised by the fire. The school also encouraged prospective students to apply for admission, as there are still spots available for the 2024-2025 school year.
The author, Joseph Lawrence, is a partner of Westinghouse Castle, LP.
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