Germantown has unfortunately seen huge amounts of disinvestment over the past several decades, as our recent stops in the area have showcased. Perhaps the most controversial of all is the former Germantown High School at 5901 Germantown Ave., which was sadly shuttered over a decade ago, eventually selling for only a portion of the assessed value. As such, there was little known about what was happening here even last year, when there were plans in the works for a residential conversion. When we stopped by a couple of months back (see below), it was still unclear what exactly was happening at this gorgeous (and historically protected) combination of Georgian Revival and Mid-Century Modern architecture.

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Germantown High School, as it looks today

But thanks to a post on X, we saw that there was a new sign on the fence. And guess what? That sign provides a bunch more information on what is now being called Living at Historical Germantown. Developers brought in PZS Architects to change these former classrooms into one- and two-bedroom apartments, along with a host of amenity spaces. While there are no prices listed here, a quick look at the units and a count of the times the word “luxury” was used in the website copy, we would imagine they won’t be inexpensive.

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A look at one of the new units
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A closer look at the finishes
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Furnished rooms will also be available

While the units are devoid of most signs of being in a former school, the future amenity spaces and hallways hearken back to the building’s past use. Many of the original details look to be retained, giving off some strong Bok vibes as one walks past the lockers in the halls. Additionally, there were zoning permits issued to convert some of the underground space to studio units for artists, which sounds like a solid use of space that might not be ideal for apartments.

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A blurry shot of the hallway
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A look at the gym, which will be refreshed
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Another amenity space, perhaps a future gym?

We are very pleased to see this historic but long vacant building get a design-forward new lease on life. Not only does this convert a white elephant into a productive part of the neighborhood, but all the new residents should only mean good things for businesses on Germantown Avenue. Speaking of white elephants, we can only hope that we see a resolution for the situation around the nearby Germantown Y sometime soon, though we admit we are a bit skeptical that anything will be resolved expeditiously with that property.