Sharpe Apartments

03/07/2026

03/07/2026

Time for a quick update on Sharpe Apartments. Stay in touch for pre-leasing opportunities when starting in May.

01/01/2026

Greetings from the Mary Sharpe School on her last lonely New Year's! Looking forward to welcoming new friends later this year.

Preparing the second-floor classrooms for the breakthrough that will permit the interconnection to the former attic loft bedroom space and installation of the cathedral ceilings! K**b and tube wiring that had been in use until last month still powered the lighting!

Framing continues on the first-floor units in the 1924 wing, while on the ground floor, new foundations and supporting steel are waiting for installation.

More to come - stay tuned!

10/18/2025

Progress continues at the Mary Sharpe School rehabilitation project......

09/28/2025

Been busy all over town as of late. Progress continues moving forward on the conversion of the former Mary Sharpe Schools to 13 residential units across three floor level.

Of course, we are cutting through rock for new utilities- wouldn't be Chambersburg if we weren't?

Ground floor work to create over 7,000 SF of residential space from former tall crawl spaces, which will be interconnected with the former classrooms above via new stairs in the former cloak closets, is our main thrust at present. However, we are also making progress with framing and HVAC, moving along on the first floor.

Check us out at www.SharpeApartments.com

09/15/2025

Renovation of the interior area is well underway on a late summer afternoon, 118 years after construction originally started.

Local tradesmen from Mann Heating & Plumbing, Burkman Electric, and KLA Construction of Everett and McKissick Architects are off to the races!

Stay tuned for updates.

07/12/2025

At last, the long-missing solid wood corbel brackets appear on Mary's projecting roof. A thank you to Amos Blank and his folks for their work to fabricate and reinstall the last missing exterior element at Sharpe!

Corbels are architectural blocks, typically made of wood, stone, or brick, that project from a wall to support a structure above it, like a roof overhang, balcony, or beam. Historically, they often had a crucial structural role and were frequently decorative, with intricate carvings or designs.

The term "corbel" derives from the Old French word for "crow," possibly referring to the beak-like projection from the wall.

01/30/2025

Not to ring our own bell, but... we did! [Sound on]

On the beautiful crisp afternoon of January 28th, 2025, the restored cupola of the former Mary Sharpe Elementary School let its presence be heard as well as seen.

11/15/2024

The School Bell is located!

We're looking forward to completing the installation in the reconstructed bell tower in the next several weeks!

Research indicates this bell was cast by the GS Bell Company of Hillsboro Ohio, between 1884 and 1914 contemporary with Sharpe that completed in 1908

11/09/2024

The sun rises on a new day for Mary Sharpe School and the new Sharpe Apartments!

11/02/2024

Looking for a school bell to purchase for the soon-to-be reconstructed bell tower, which has been missing for 100 years since the schools 1924 renovation/expansion.

I had a source that did not work out - so if anyone out there knew of someone who might have a small/medium school bell, they would part with - I'd be most appreciative if you could let me know or share my information with them. Vern McKissick AIA, [email protected] 717.580.4951.