In May, Weigand Construction (WCI) reached a significant project milestone by completing the steel frame of a new addition on the shared campus of Paul Harding Junior High School and East Allen University in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We were joined by students, educators, Garmann Miller Architects, and East Allen County Schools (EACS) leadership to mark the close of this job phase while looking ahead to what’s next.
Teachers, administrators, and students signed the final steel beam, which was then lifted with a crane to its resting spot where workers secured it to the frame. Attached the beam were an American flag and an evergreen tree.
“This beam represents countless hours of planning, collaboration, and problem solving from architects, engineers, construction crews, school leaders, community partners, and our board of school trustees,” said EACS Superintendent Marilyn Hissong, “most importantly, it represents our shared belief in the students who will walk these halls for generations to come. At Paul Harding Junior High and East Allen University, these new spaces will create opportunities for innovation, learning, career exploration, and growth…while today marks the top of the structure, it’s really just the beginning of what these buildings will help us achieve.”
Upon Completion
The project represents more than 71,000 square feet of new additions that will be turned over in the spring of 2027 and 105,000 square feet of renovations to be completed in the fall of 2028. The new construction and redeveloped spaces will include:
- Remodeled Classrooms
- Learning Labs
- Athletic Facilities
- Media Center
- STEM Area
- Gathering and Study Spaces
An Ancient Tradition
“The steel topping celebration is one of construction’s oldest traditions,” explained WCI CEO Larry Weigand, “it can be traced back to 700 A.D., and the beam being raised today carries three important symbols.”
The American Flag represents national pride; the beam signatures demonstrate the future inhabitants becoming part of the physical building itself; and the evergreen tree is a symbol of growth, strength, and hope for the future.
Weigand noted that, “while today marks a major construction milestone, what matters most is what happens inside these building walls in the years to come.”
For Those Coming After
At WCI, we believe our work goes beyond the bricks, mortar, and steel. It all comes back to building places that matter and leaving behind a legacy that makes a positive impact on the lives and communities we serve every day. We are thankful for East Allen County Schools’ trust in us as their construction partner on this important project.
