BACK TO SCHOOL
Developer turns his alma mater into luxury condos
Stone School. If the name suggests the brawn of masonry, a sense of times past and a halls-of-ivy pedigree, it’s just about done its job of conveying everything that Jerry Gorski had in mind when he christened themodern-day condos he carved out fromthe vintage charm of his alma mater.
Forty-three years after he graduated the original Perkiomen Valley High School, the stone building built in 1938 and nestled away on part of the Frederick Muhlenberg farmhas been granted a new lease on life as a series of luxury homes.
“I’m a builder, it’s what I’ve done my whole life, and my father before me, who always told us he was five years old when the school was being built, and that was one of the projects that got him interested in construction because his brother, who was 10 years older, used to take him over to watch it being built,” said Gorski, an award-winning engineer and president of Gorski Engineering. “The stone masonry was the something we really wanted to convey. To build a building as solid as that today wouldn’t be economically possible. When you’re in this building with these 11-foot ceilings and all these big windows and natural light,” he added, “it’s pretty dramatic.”
Each unit at StoneSchool is totally customizable, conforming to the unique vision of the homeowner.
A press release described a few of the initial buyers and their personal modifications: A former professor, impressed by the large windows and natural light, decided to add an office alcove to his two-bedroom, two-and-one-halfbath flat. Another moved walls, added doors — even one from the original school — and was heart
ened by the fact that no two homes are alike.
“Each buyer gets to look at the plan that we have and if they want to adjust it they can and pick all the finishes they want,” noted Gorski, who explained that the Gorski signature Constructioneering trademarked building process covers every adaptation that could come up.
“You don’t need an architect or designer or any of that because we’re handling all of those services for our buyers. We take care of all that here,” Gorski said. “Each home ranges in size from 1,179 to 3,700 square feet.”
Two engineers, drawn by the mechanical and structural integrity of StoneSchool and Gorski’s impeccable reputation, came on board early in the homebuying process, anticipating such amenities as the community room, two new elevators, fitness center, onsite walking trail, fire pit and fenced-in dog park.
Enhancing its rich history, the building adjoins The Speaker’s House in Trappe, which preserves the home of Frederick Muhlenberg, the First and Third Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
An array of standard construction components include hardwood floors throughout the foyer, powder room, great room and kitchen; ceramic tile in master and second bathrooms; extra thick drywall to absorb noise; 7-foot solid-core interior doors and expansive Solar ban 60 insulated low-e glass windows.
Having narrowly-missed a date with the wrecking ball over the years, the building had once been owned by Ursinus College, which sold the land to the newly formed Collegeville-Trappe Joint School District for $100 in 1938. Later, the building served as the home of Collegeville Trappe High School.
“The main building was built in1938, openedin1939, and they added on significantly in 1962, with a gymnasium and a classroom wing. We got rid of the gym because it was in very poor condition and it didn’t lend itself to the condominium use. We did keep the classroom-building, but it was not very attractive and wasn’t clad in stone. So we added a natural stone exterior to the two-story 1962 classroom addition. We always wanted to keep the original architecture of the building,” Gorski said, “so we replaced round columns with round columns, replaced windows with new windows but we didn’t remove any porches or anything like that.”
The building had been empty for nearly a decade when he took over, Gorski noted.
“The (Perkiomen Valley) School District didn’t know quite what to do with the building so they approached us maybe 10 years ago to see what could happen to save the building because they no longer had a use for it. They ultimately put it on the market and a number of developers wanted to buy the property and tear the building down,” he said.
“It was probably under agreement three or four times and nobody in the Collegeville-Trappe community was excited about seeing the building torn down, so a potential buyer would back away fromthe deal once they found out the building was supposed to stay. Ursinus College looked at the property and they would have torn the building down as well. We were asked to come up with a use for the building that would satisfy all concerned. That’s what got me to come up with a way to preserve the building and put it to a new use. We do all kinds of construction all over Eastern Pennsylvania. The building is s mile from myoffice. Both ofmy parents went to school there and I have 10 relatives that graduated from that high school.”
From the outset, Gorski had a clear vision of the StoneSchool market.
“Our thought was empty nesters who want to keep a home in the area but don’t want to be cutting grass and worrying about the roof and all the things you have to go through as a homeowner but still want to own their home, “he said. “A condominium is good alternative for them so they can have a place that they own and aren’t paying rent on. And that is playing out for us. A lot of our buyers are of that type. But we didn’t want to make it agerestricted, like a 55 and older community. We wanted the diversity, so we do have younger couples that also want that same freedom.”
StoneSchool is located at 29 E. First Ave., Collegeville,
The sales center and decorated model are currently open Friday through Sunday from12 to 5 p.m. or anytime by appointment. The community is marketed by The Davidson Group, a new and repurposed construction specialist with offices in Skippack and Malvern.