The Pittsburg Business College was founded
in 1894 by O. S. Johnston and remained in operation until
1946. The building at 318 South Broadway was built in
1918 at an approximate cost of $100,000 with another
$25,000 being spent on furnishings.
The official dedication was on Dec. 2, 1918 and was touted
as “one
of the finest privately owned college buildings in the
country,” according the Pittsburg Business College
Journal of 1919-1929. It also stated that the Pittsburg
Business College was the only school in the Midwest that
was fully accredited by the National Association of Accredited
Commercial Schools.
The college occupied the top two floors of the building
with its offices on the second story. The first floor
was the home to the Central Automobile and Tractor School.
The basement contained a 50’ x 80’ gymnasium
that was used for meetings and sports competitions.
Enrollment at the school started with
a few dozen students in 1894 reaching its peak attendance
around 1919 with 2000 students. Upon its closing in 1946
there were fewer than 200 students. After the Pittsburg
Business College moved out, the building became home
to the Annshire Garment Factory. The third floor
was converted to a skating rink during the 50’s
and 60’s.
On April 11, 2001, a bad windstorm caused
the back southeast part of the roof to
collapse which resulted in the third floor then collapsing.
The building being beyond repair was unfortunatly torn
down later that summer.