PITTSBURGH — It’s the most significant war memorial at any of the public schools in Pittsburgh, according to James Hill with Pittsburgh’s Historic Review Commission. Created by Pittsburgh sculptor Frank Vittor, it’s a bronze World War I memorial that sits right outside of the old Peabody High School, which is Obama Academy today.
“There were 15 children killed in action,” James Hill tells Channel 11. “Over 500 students served from Peabody High School.”
All 500 names of local students who served are etched into the base of the sculpture.
“Fifteen, 16, 17-year-olds were forced to leave school and in the case of the WWI and go overseas,” Hills said. “The level of sacrifice is truly incredible.”
After WWI, students raised money through liberty bonds to build the statue, but it has been in disrepair since the 60s. Hill says ‘Preservation Pittsburgh’ is working to raise $100 thousand to restore the bronze statue, including fixing a broken hand, missing wreath and adding back a flagpole.
“Originally, this path continued to East Liberty Boulevard, and you had a sidewalk to it and the statue flanked in the middle and there was a flagpole in the middle,” Hill said. “What we want to do is give it a proper setting, give it a clean-up and get a new flagpole to create a better setting for Obama Academy and for this piece that turns 100 next year.”
Hill says it’s about respect for the piece and the 500 local students who sacrificed so much at such a young age. He says the 100-year mark for the statue is a perfect time to give it some much-needed restoration work.
If you’d like to help donate to the restoration of the WWI statue, you can click here.
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