New Jersey Avenue School was built in 1925 to replace a smaller structure. The old school was racially segregated, the new building was meant to be integrated, serving kindergarten through eighth grade.
The building was designed to be open to the public for concerts and various civic events. Because of this the classrooms were all on one side of the building, apart from the gym and auditorium.
The 350 seat auditorium was beautifully decorated. The stage spanned almost the entire width of the room, while chandeliers hung from the ceiling.
The gymnasium was tucked away behind stage.
Students from New Jersey Avenue were relocated to the new school on Pennsylvania Ave in 2012. The city intended to fix up the building and put it back to use, but before that could happen superstorm Sandy came through and flooded the building.
I pulled up to the school about a decade later at the end of a long day exploring around the state. I was tired and had no idea how I was going to get inside the building. To my absolute shock the main front door had a missing window just feet from the sidewalk.
The city police were notorious among local explorers for their swift response to alarms, so seeing the easy access set my nerves at ease.
The city left everything inside the school when it closed, and after the flooding during Sandy everything was deemed a loss.
The power had been left on for several more years though, powering the alarms and preventing burglars from getting inside. Unfortunately once the power was cut the Scrappers wasted no time ripping the place apart looking for copper.
It was announced that the school would be demolished in 2025 and replaced by a new administration building for the Board of Education. A press briefing was held outside the vacant school featuring several lovely former staff members, as well as the scandal plagued superintendent of schools La'quetta Small.
During the early stages of the demolition process the building was accidently set on fire by one of the workers. The blaze was so severe several local news outlets reported on it, which is how I found out the school was being demolished.
The school is now part of a growing list of historic educational facilities demolished across the state in the last decade. I'm grateful I was able to see the building and document it so it doesn't get completely forgotten to time.
No comments:
Post a Comment