Callie DeMasters, Mt. Lebanon High School Class of 2018, has published a 416-page book on the evolution of Mt. Lebanon High School called “The Buildings We See.” The book contains pictures from the school’s early days in the late 1920s through today, including blueprints and vintage photos.

“The one thing I want people to take from this is that history will always be alive, and it’s important to know how [the school] got here,” says DeMasters. Her sources include yearbooks from as far back as 1969, interviews with teachers and staff of the school.

The project started as part of her Girl Scouts Gold Award and grew from there. Mt. Lebanon’s close-knit neighborhoods are a good reason to preserve its history, she says. “Mt. Lebanon is such a strong community because of the history that came before us,” says DeMasters. “If you know where you came from, you’re going to make the most of right now.”

Her research made DeMasters feel connected with students of the past. “There is a picture from the ’80s of a girl staring out a window, I would always do that in my homeroom,” says DeMasters. “What makes history special is there have been so many students who walk the same halls I have.”

DeMasters is attending Chatham University and is studying graphic design, French and Polish. She plans to enter the field of user interface design.

The book is available at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Castle Shannon Boulevard, and the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon History Center, Washington Road.