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Quakertown committee reviews salvage plan for QE building, plans community sendoff
Summary
The Quakertown Community School District ad hoc committee reviewed items marked for salvage from the QE building — including plaques, two date stones (1928, 1967) and gym clocks — considered a $3,000 salvage bid from Keystone Salvage, and discussed a May sendoff open house to let the public view the building before demolition.
The Quakertown Community School District ad hoc committee reviewed a list of items to salvage from the QE building at its March 12 meeting and began planning public outreach and a community sendoff.
Committee members said dedication plaques, two date stones dated 1928 and 1967, and exterior door inscriptions reading "enter to learn, leave to serve" are among elements the district hopes to preserve and incorporate into the new main entrance. The meeting chair said the district will attempt to remove the inscriptions but acknowledged a visible crack in one of the elements could make salvage unsuccessful; the committee discussed replicating or otherwise honoring the inscription in the new design if removal fails.
The committee also discussed reuse of architectural pieces such as precast unit vent grills as part of exterior mechanical screening. Staff described a salvage proposal from Keystone Salvage offering $3,000 to remove items the company listed — roughly 30 single doors, 12 double doors, 12 windows, four built-ins, two scoreboards and library shelving. Committee members noted the Quakertown Historical Society had earlier requested the gym clocks and asked staff to confirm the society’s interest before finalizing which items remain for the salvage contractor; the chair said staff will request a revised quote excluding any items already committed to the historical society.
On procurement, the committee said it has solicitor guidance that when a reasonable single salvage bid exists for items otherwise headed to disposal, competing bids may not be required and the committee can accept that bid as part of the demolition contract. A salvage-request form has been posted on the district website and the committee invited community members to submit requests for specific items.
The group spent substantial time on public communications for the building closure, discussing a short newsletter item, a website page and outreach to municipal partners. Members proposed a short, defined open-house or "Farewell to QE" night in May (or over the Memorial Day holiday weekend) that would allow community members to walk the building, photograph features and say goodbye. The committee suggested the district foundation or the historical society could plan or co-sponsor the event and that volunteers could staff it so district administrators would not be required to work a holiday weekend.
Next steps the committee set at the meeting: staff will confirm historical-society interest in the gym clocks, obtain a revised salvage quote excluding committed items, continue attempts to assess the feasibility of salvaging the inscription and date stones once demolition work begins, and set a date and simple logistics for the May open-house. The committee closed the meeting after encouraging members to share the salvage-form link online.
The committee did not take formal votes at the March 12 meeting; decisions described reflect staff reports and committee direction recorded during the discussion.
