“Guion Bluford Elementary School” rings a bell doesn’t it? But did you know it was once called the William B. Hanna School? Today we’re standing before the grounds where the historic William B. Hanna School once stood in Philadelphia.
The William B. Hanna School was located in the Carroll Park neighborhood. It stood proudly at 5720 Media Street. The school occupied two acres. It was a significant landmark added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 1986.
Construction of the William B. Hanna School took place between 1908 and 1909. Sax and Abbott built it. Henry deCoursey Richards designed it. The architectural style was Late Gothic Revival also known as Anglo-Gothic.
Imagine a three-story building. It had reinforced concrete and a brick facade. The William B. Hanna School featured a central Gothic arched entry. Grotesques adorned the entry. Limestone trim added to its elegance. A cornice with terra cotta trim completed the design.
The William B. Hanna School held a place in the community’s heart for many years. But time takes its toll. In 2010 the older portion of the William B. Hanna School was demolished. A replacement was attached to the 1974 addition.
Later the school’s name changed to Guion Bluford Elementary School. This renaming honored astronaut Guion Bluford. He was an alumnus of the Hanna School.
Though the original William B. Hanna School building is gone its legacy remains. It reminds us of the importance of education. It also reminds us of the contributions of those who passed through its halls. The William B. Hanna School may be gone but not forgotten.