West View in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

First School of West View

Photographed by Bradley Owen, September 16, 2025

1. First School of West View Marker

Inscription.
On this site the first school of West View opened November 1904 in the converted real estate office where the First Presbyterian Church of West View now stands. In this one room Elizabeth Boal conducted classes for all eight grades. Thirty-nine pupils were enrolled for the six months term-the school closing April 1905. At that time the street cars ran only as far as Horse Shoe Bend. There was no water system in the school: the larger boys carrying the water from a pump on Dr. Atkinson's property. Two reznor stoves heated the building and an old fashioned organ was used for school purposes during the week and church services on Sunday afternoons. For her forty-five dollar monthly salary the teacher also did the janitor work with the assistance of some of the larger boys. The Oakwood School was built and two rooms ready for occupancy in September of 1905.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1905.

Location. 40° 30.898′ N, 80° 1.362′ W. Marker is in West View, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. It is on Ridgewood Avenue south of Center Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 131 Ridgewood Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15229, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Pittsburgh.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker

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, measured as the crow flies: St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church (within shouting distance of this marker); West View Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); St. John Neumann (approx. 0.7 miles away); First Aluminum Observatory Dome (approx. 1.2 miles away); Hiland Presbyterian Church (approx. 1.3 miles away); Mount Assisi (approx. 1½ miles away); Ross Township Fifth District World War II Memorial (approx. 1.6 miles away); History of Observatory Hill (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in West View.

Photographed by Bradley Owen, September 16, 2025

2. First School of West View Marker

Marker is at the right of the front door.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 63 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 17, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.