The land on which the school was built had been donated as a burial ground by William Barclay Foster, the founder of Lawrenceville, and contained about 500 graves including those of veterans of the War of 1812.

The Pittsburgh Post reported,[5] ...the workmen have unearthed the corpse of Miss Johnston, who was buried twenty years ago, and whose remains still have a life-like appearance.

Foster told the Post,[5] ...many brave soldiers who had served their country faithfully were buried there, and if my father had supposed at this day knaves were knocking their sconces about with dirty shovels he would never have granted that ground for burying purposes, but it would have remained our private property and inheritance.The case eventually reached the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which decided in the school board's favor, allowing the project to go ahead.

[6] The school cost about $40,000 and was reported to be "fitted up with all the latest improvements" including electric bells and speaking tubes for teachers to communicate with the principal.

[4] Part of the school property was later donated to build the Lawrenceville Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, which opened in 1898.

[12] The Catholic Youth Association bought the building from Pittsburgh Public Schools in 1955[13] and continues to own and operate the community center as of 2024.

The interior layout of the building, with four large classrooms on each floor radiating from a central hallway, has not been modified.