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UER Forum > Archived US: Mid-Atlantic > Blacksburg Middle School (Viewed 932 times)
Fuse 


Location: Blacksburg, VA, US
Gender: Male




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Blacksburg Middle School
< on 4/30/2010 10:18 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
The old middle school on main street in Blacksburg, VA was closed in 2002 when a new middle school opened up to replace it. Since then, the building has sat empty while the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors has debated what to do with the property. Meanwhile, it seems like it would be a great place to do some urban exploring.

I was wondering if anyone has any information on the school or if anyone has explored it.

becckeez 


Location: 804
Gender: Female


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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 1 on 5/1/2010 12:35 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
nope. but defiantly sounds cool.
you should check it out
schools are always really fun. especially when they leave stuff behind.

Fuse 


Location: Blacksburg, VA, US
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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 2 on 5/1/2010 7:25 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I scouted it out earlier today, but unfortunately all the doors are locked and some of them have signs that claim that the building is alarmed. I'm not convinced that the alarm is operational, however, and I did not notice any door sensors or motion detectors. I'm willing to try setting off the alarm intentionally if need be.

It does look like there's still a lot of equipment left in the building. There are still tables in the cafeteria and it appears that many of the classrooms are also equipped, judging from what is visible on the outside.

Interestingly enough, there is one stairwell in the building with the lights on. There are exterior lights, but a lot of them have burnt out, so the building itself is pretty dark at night. Really, most of the light comes from the lighted sports fields in the rear of the building.

Also, I found a few metal plates next to a parking lot on the property. I wouldn't normally think anything of them, but there are two buildings on the property that are not connected. I am wondering if these might lead to a utility tunnel connecting the two buildings or if it's just wishful thinking. I've attached a picture of one of these plates.

179582.jpg (84 kb, 399x600)
click to view



The main problem I see with getting into the building is that the fields behind the school are still used by local sports teams, so that would make daytime exploration difficult. But at night, since the building is so dark, any kind of light or flash inside the building would be clearly visible from the main street.

There are quite a few entrances to the building and most of the ones on the back are pretty well hidden. Besides the doors, there is an open window, but it's blocked by metal panes that don't look like they can be removed. Also, the boarded-up windows are secured only with Phillips-head screws.

Any suggestions?
[last edit 5/1/2010 7:48 AM by Fuse - edited 3 times]

becckeez 


Location: 804
Gender: Female


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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 3 on 5/1/2010 1:58 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 


don't sweat the sports team practices. there's an old high school in hopewell that they still use the field behind. the coaches will occasionally go through the building to use the roof. still easy as cake. just be... stealthy xD
we were actually in that building once when my teacher came through (he was also the football coach) and almost spotted us. luckily the next day at school, he told the class he just wrote it off as ghosts. haha.

so go for it! especially if there's still much inside. that's always the best
i want pictures!!



Posted by Fuse


The main problem I see with getting into the building is that the fields behind the school are still used by local sports teams, so that would make daytime exploration difficult. But at night, since the building is so dark, any kind of light or flash inside the building would be clearly visible from the main street.

There are quite a few entrances to the building and most of the ones on the back are pretty well hidden. Besides the doors, there is an open window, but it's blocked by metal panes that don't look like they can be removed. Also, the boarded-up windows are secured only with Phillips-head screws.

Any suggestions?



[last edit 5/1/2010 2:21 PM by Opheliaism - edited 1 times]

metalpandalives 


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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 4 on 5/1/2010 3:09 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
If you're worried about the alarm, try to find the electrical meter on the building. If it is going up, then the alarm is active. Just watch it for a few minutes and see if you notice a difference or not.

AnAppleSnail 


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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 5 on 5/1/2010 3:36 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Predawn it if you're worried, but that's usually unnecessary. Give it a shot!

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Noorg 


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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 6 on 5/2/2010 12:23 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I happened to be in Blacksburg on other business Saturday morning and had a little time to investigate.




A few plusses and minuses for those who have not been to the site:

- It is on Main Street and the police are in very short response distance
- The site is maintained and semi-actively used for storage and athletics (the baseball diamond in back is kept in good shape)




- There are so many windows that a night run would be very obvious




+ Despite the signs, I do not think any alarms are active. I saw no motion sensors, keypads, CCTV, and a lot of the doors rattle enough that I think magnetic switches would give a lot of false alarms. But do your own assessment!
+ Because it is so open, being on the property is not inherently suspicious. I wandered around for quite a while, checking entry points and taking pictures and did not get a second glance from the people using the baseball diamond.

General notes:
All entry doors are locked, all windows are intact, boarded or otherwise impassable (like a broken window but with wire glass or frames too small to get through)

The majority of the locks are "Best" keysets and the standard-ish school bolts/latches, so if you have a cylinder extraction key you're in business. Or you could just pick the locks. And if you're reading this and tried to do so, please remember to take your tension wrench with you when you leave...




A few of the doors have jambs where they might be vulnerable to a shove knife.

There are quite a few entry points where you are out of view unless someone is walking right by you.

It is not suspicious to park on the side street right next to the school or even in the parking lot.

There might be a roof access, but I suspect it is going to be locked from the inside.




Some general photographs of the outside and taken through windows.

























Hope this helps anyone planning a run on the site. Judging by the tension wrench left behind, maybe someone already has and we'll see the results!


becckeez 


Location: 804
Gender: Female


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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 7 on 5/2/2010 1:54 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
very very cool.
i'll have to stop by here sometime soon.

i can't believe someone just left their wrench >.<
if i were you I would taken it. i love my lovely tension wrench, i would never leave it anywhere!!!
[last edit 5/2/2010 2:07 PM by becckeez - edited 1 times]

insanebuslady 


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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 8 on 5/3/2010 6:16 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I doubt they would leave all that equipment inside without some kind of alarm. That building is in very good condition and still receiving electricity, the cost of a motion-activated alarm is minimal when compared to the loss of all the equipment inside.

It looks fantastic though, good luck with it

Fuse 


Location: Blacksburg, VA, US
Gender: Male




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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 9 on 5/4/2010 12:48 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Thanks for the encouragement and information, everyone. I'm going to see if I can try and make a run before I go home for the summer, but I guess we'll see. I'll make sure to take plenty of pictures.
[last edit 5/4/2010 8:20 PM by Fuse - edited 1 times]

zomgw00t 


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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 10 on 5/7/2010 7:34 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Also, if you find the location of what you think is an alarm, do whatever you think would activate it and then quickly (remember, it could be a silent alarm) get to a spot where you can observe what sort of response there is to the alarm being activated. If there is no response, you should be good to go.

~Chappie

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Re: Blacksburg Middle School
<Reply # 11 on 5/15/2010 11:26 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Ah, my old middle school. I attended from 1984-1987, and had many of the most miserable times of my adolescent life inside its walls.

That building has always intrigued me, as creepy as it is. The room with the orange panels was the band room. The shot of the gym shows the entrance to the boy's locker room on the left - the girl's was on the opposing end. There used to be this very unsafe-looking press box in the gym which probably hadn't been used since 1965.

The shot through the front entrance doesn't show very much, but the administrative offices were immediately to the left, and to the right was the business/typing classroom. Further around the corner to the right is the gym, the music wing, and the auditorium. Above all this on the second floor were the art rooms and the library.

The main building was finished in about 1954, moving the high school from the west corner of Draper Rd and W Roanoke St. The smaller structure behind it was built earlier, I think in the late 1930's, and housed the vocational classes (shop and agriculture). To my knowledge there is no tunnel connecting the two structures.

There were many parts of both buildings that I found eerie, and many parts that I would love to explore, mainly the subterranean levels. Good luck to anyone who ventures in!

UER Forum > Archived US: Mid-Atlantic > Blacksburg Middle School (Viewed 932 times)



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