After last summer's highly enjoyable trip to Detroit, I made the trip again on Monday to cross some more buildings off my list. Most of the locations on the itinerary were schools. There were also two churches I wanted to visit but neither was successful. One was completely sealed and people were being arrested at the other one for some reason. Maybe next time. I already have a complete list for the next trip, hopefully later this summer.
1. My first stop was at a school I explored last day. When I got home, I realized that I had somehow missed the swimming pool. So this year I went back and found it since I have a weird fascination with abandoned pools.
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3. The pool has two deep ends on either side. When it was in use, a divider down the middle separated boys and girls.
4. Next stop was an old elementary school, built in 1905. Unfortunately, it is slated for demolition this year. Of Monday's stops, this one contained by far the most artifacts left behind. Hundreds of textbooks, toys, posters and papers remained. Student projects still hung on several walls.
5. The gym floor had that wavy look they get from serious water damage.
6. Two climbing ropes still hung from the ceiling.
7. Entire shelves were filled with textbooks still in good condition.
8. Student projects on flowers still hung from a bulletin board in a second floor hallway.
9. A room that appeared to be an office had fire damage, a common theme among Monday's explores.
10. Second floor hallway.
11. The auditorium. Behind the stage was minor damage from a fire that appeared to originate in an electrical box.
12. Found on the third floor.
13. Hundreds of textbooks in this storage room alone. Some had never even been opened.
14. Apparently the teacher's lounge was a smoking area. Not sure that would fly today.
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16. Next stop was another sizable elementary school in the corner of a neighborhood. I had several neighbors stop and ask what I was doing here. They seemed to be satisfied by my photography explanation. One attended the school as a child and shared a couple of interesting stories about his days there.
17. I love the long dark hallways these city block-long schools have.
18. Another wavy gym floor.
19. Shelves in a room off of the gym were labeled with the materials they once held.
20. The auditorium.
21. Someone had the time and inclination to smash every seat in the auditorium.
22. Fire has damaged what appears to be the industrial arts room.
23. More fire damage. Judging by the strong smell, I believe this fire was fairly recent. No wonder the neighbors are so concerned with people poking around the building.
24. Lockers that somehow haven't been stolen by scrappers yet.
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26. This intermediate school was the best as far as architecture and infrastructure. The blue sky visible in this picture was not to last long.
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28. Classroom seating still remained.
29. The boys' locker room.
30. One of two swimming pools in the buildings. This one was for boys.
31. Stalls in the girls' locker room.
32. Swimming pool on the girls' side.
33. The auditorium was enormous.
34. Heavily-scrapped classroom. This was around the time when I noticed the dark clouds starting to roll in.
35. Mathematical equations still on the board.
36. This is when the bottom fell out and it starting pouring.
37. I like this picture because you can see that half the floor is wet from the rain coming in and half of it is still dusty and dirty.
38. The large library.
39. There were separate gyms for boys and girls. This was the boys'. Both had a walking track above.
40. The girls' gym.
41. There was a small fourth floor with lots of attic space under the roof.
42. After the intermediate school, I got soaked running back to my car and went to dinner while waiting out the downpour. Once it quit raining, I arrived at the final stop, another large elementary school.
43. This one was two city blocks long.
44. I don't think that's how boats work.
45. The rear of the school where people have been dumping trash. While taking this photo I was approached by a passerby. I went through the usual spiel as to who I was and what I was doing. He assured me that Detroit is coming back and told me to be safe and then was on his way. I wish I could have asked him some questions but he seemed to be in a hurry.
46. Behind the school was an overgrown playground
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48. Another long dark hallway. I should also mention that after it rains, these schools that have been heavily scrapped leak like crazy, making me thankful for my jacket with a hood.
49. The auditorium.
50. More fire damage, making three of the four complete explores I did where it was present.
51. The gym where the floor is not yet warped.
52. Graffiti wall. I can only assume this was a teacher's lounge due to the fireplace.
53. More wall drawings.
54. Best Day Ever!