By Christine Lorraine Morgan ~ March 12, 2025

Historic schoolhouse No. 9 has sat atop Federal Hill for over 130 years. A familiar sight to most anyone from Erie, it has been repurposed to house local businesses. Hat tip to those entrepreneurs who have maintained this beautiful building over the decades.

It was originally built as School No. 9 in the City of Erie, and when this eight-room schoolhouse first opened in 1891 it had 396 seats and was situated on a 165′ x 250′ lot. It was named Franklin School, and itis located at 2617 Peach Street. The school was constructed by S. Kirschner & Sons, and designed by Joseph Frank.

On a personal note, I once worked with a musical group that rented a practice room/classroom in this beautiful building. The ceilings were very high, the woodwork was amazing, and the classroom still had an educational vibe to it. I loved every minute inside of this “old school” schoolhouse.

~ Still Standing ~