Hidden in the hills behind a former coal-mining town in southeast Ohio is a crumbling school where the class sizes were once almost as big as the entire current population. Home to only 36 people, it is the smallest incorporated community in the state. If you turn off the state route and take a gravel road up into the hills, you will find the ruins of the long-shuttered school on a hill surrounded by trees. Built between 1879 and 1883, the school closed sometime around the Great Depression when the town was absorbed into a nearby school district. Earlier this year, I visited the school on a dreary, drizzly day. There is little left of the original section of the building and the rear addition is mostly a shell, although the stairways are still intact.

1. The north side of the school from the gravel road.


2. The rear addition (east side) of the school was in slightly better shape than the original structure but that's not really saying much.


3. The side door on the north side of the original structure. The main entrance is pretty much gone but this side entrance still exists.


4. This window is next to the main entrance on the west side of the building.


5. I took this picture standing about where the top step at the main entrance would have been.


6. First floor classroom, although there is no more floor.


7. Looking down into the basement.


8. Down in the basement. I guess people used to party here because there are a lot of old beer cans lying around.


9. The only two classrooms that remain.


10. The stairs from the basement to the 1st floor and from the 1st to 2nd floor were both still intact but are hard to walk on because there is so much brick dust collected on them.


11. Made it to the second floor.


12. 2nd floor classroom.


13. What remains of the main entrance from the 2nd floor. While I was standing here, a brick randomly fell out of the wall just to the left of the window.

Even though there wasn't much to see and I was a little worried about being hit by falling bricks, I still really enjoyed this trip. I'm glad I got to see it before the entire thing just falls down.

Super sketch but still looks like a fun little explore!

#6 was especially striking. About all you could 'teach' in that room is the balance beam. Thanks for sharing!

Nice place, but I would NOT have trusted those stairs.

awesome spot and great photos. that looks fun!

What a beautiful old ghost. I love brick buildings, and I'm hoping to find some in my area. There was an old school in a town about half an hour from me that I've peered at before, that just got demolished this spring. Sad to see them go.

I love the interior shots here! The red brick and grey sky make for wonderful photos, and you definitely got some adventurous perspectives on the building.