Standing in front of the Vare-Washington Elementary School, you might not realize that the building’s bricks hold stories of both an iconic landmark and a community’s resilience. This building, built in the 1930s, had a different name back then: the George Washington School. It was designed in a striking Art Deco style, with its tall vertical lines and a distinctive entrance tower. This school served the children of workers in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a critical site for the American Navy, especially around the time of the Civil War, making it a place of enormous importance for the city.
The school became a symbol of change in 1985 when it was one of the first two schools in Philadelphia to implement “Education for Parenting,” where students learned about parenting through real-life observations of infants. This program was a revolutionary approach to education. But a few years later, in 2012, the school district proposed closing George Washington School due to lower academic performance. This decision sparked a reaction from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, who tried to reverse the closure by filing a grievance. However, the plan went forward, and George Washington School was absorbed by the Abigail Vare School, located just a few blocks away. As a result, the school’s name changed to Vare-Washington School, as it stands today, a combination of two buildings with two histories merged.
Vare-Washington School, however, remains a testament to the power of education and its ability to shape a community. While things may change, the legacy of both schools lives on within the walls of this historic building, reminding us of the importance of education and the enduring spirit of Philadelphia.