I've been meaning to make the trip up to Detroit for a while and finally had the opportunity. I had a few locations in mind and stumbled across another one that I wasn't aware of beforehand. There was definitely no shortage of exploration opportunities. In order to get to my planned locations, I had to pass up numerous buildings that would have been a guaranteed stop any other day. I passed through entire neighborhoods relegated to nothing more than a few derelict houses and high grass that I wish I'd had time to poke around in. By the time I had to go home, I'd been through only four locations. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back soon and see more.
1. The first stop of the day was an elementary school in one of those neighborhoods where there isn't really much left. There aren't many houses, tall grass has grown up everywhere and the parking lot and some of the side streets are filled with trash. This school was built in 1918 and closed in 2007 when enrollment continued to decline.
2. A second-floor hallway.
3. These cabinets have seen better days.
4. The gymnasium
5. Boys just wanna have fun
6. Never be wasted in an in-class situation! We need your full participation!
7. The office at the top of the stairs
8. The auditorium, where every single seat has been destroyed.
9. My second stop was a church, also completed in 1918. Several different congregations used the structure over its history until a 2009 fire forced its closure.
10. The sanctuary
11. Balcony seating
12. I believe this tub in the rear of the sanctuary was used for baptisms.
13. 4give us our trespassing!
14. There was an entire room full of these donation papers.
15. Food remaining in the kitchen
16. Up to the top
17. Papers hanging up in the Sunday school classrooms.
18. The Sunday school classroom
19. Built in 1928 and closed in 2012, this school has quickly deteriorated. Scrappers have completely destroyed the interior in a fairly short amount of time.
20. Drug free school zone
21. One of the entrances.
22. Yet another entrance
23. The long dark hallway
24. One of the less-destroyed bathrooms in the school
25. Solid advice. Also, spot the grammar error.
26. Again, somebody had the time and inclination to destroy every auditorium seat.
27. The gymnasium
28. The purple room
29. Typical classroom
30. This was when it started pouring rain. Also, the wind kept blowing in and slamming doors shut.
31. Girls like this color
32. This was the unplanned stop. I just happened to pass this en route to the other school and went back to explore after I was done there. It was built in 1921 and closed in 2004 due to declining enrollment. What all three schools I visited have in common is that they are located in dead neighborhoods.
33. Gymnasium
34. The 6 "rights" of medication administration
35. There was an entire book of student skill sheets.
36. Another destroyed restroom
37. Textbook dump!
38. Kupa the Bear wants you to be a good citizen.
39. A lonely chair in a deserted hallway.
40. Nature has slowly begun to reclaim this classroom.
41. A fireplace
Clearly, there is no way to see everything I wanted to see in Detroit in one week, not to mention one day. Hopefully I will be back sooner rather than later.
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