History - Rebuilding

Before the fire, The Prep had already begun acquiring land for outdoor athletic facilities and a plaza. Much of the area in front of the Prep was already owned by the school or the parish, so the fire changed the vision for the block between Stiles and Girard. The Gesu grade school vacated their home in the old Quaker school and moved to temporary quarters blocks away to make room for the new building. During the 1960s, the Southwest corner of Stiles and 18th Street housed the Gesu parish center and was the intended site for the construction of a new Gesu School. There had been a great deal of discussion of moving to the suburbs, but the easy access to the subway, trolley and commuter lines meant that The Prep could not only stay to serve the people of North Philadelphia, but also the entire region.

Construction began in May 1967, sixteen months after the fire. The money had not been raised to complete the project. Instead The Prep took out a 30 year mortgage which was just recently repaid. The new modern Prep cost five million dollars. Two million dollars came from insurance from the fire, while two more million was raised through the generosity of alumni, faculty, and friends of The Prep. The new building had a pool with a balcony and large windows to brighten it. The new gym floor was laid on wooden beams supported by thousands of small leaf springs. Today this is the cafeteria floor. The marble stairs from the old building had been buried under the glass and slate foyer to signify the strength of The Prep.