Since I was young, I remember car rides where we passed this old building on the edge of town. As I began doing research on it, I discovered it had it's beginnings as an orphanage before being sold and converted into a junior college. It took some more searching, but I finally found that it had closed in 1992, and sat empty for all these years, with the exception of squatters and the local fire company.

Least year, I heard news that someone had bought the property and had plans on turning into residences. The borough approved that, but either through structural instability or plan change by the developer, they've been taking the thing down over the course of the last two months.

I had always intended to go in to get a view of it, but only after they started completely demolishing it did I take this opportunity:

click to view

1. The Gymnasium


2. And a front of the same portion of the building


3. This used to be the parking lot behind it


4. This is where the gym used to stand. At one point, this was full of water.


5. By the time I learned they were demolishing the building, more than half was taken down.


6. The passage to the inside


7. I know it is generally frowned upon to show POEs, but this one should seem pretty obvious.


8. Some sort of large room. Given the proximity to the kitchen, it may have been a dining hall.


10.


11.


12.


13. Clutter


16. Danger


17. Have you ever had that general feeling of unease, like something was compelling you to avoid an area? That was the second floor of the building. Something in my mind told me not to go up there.


18. Same stairwell, but facing an exit to the outside.


19. While sitting abandoned for many years, it was not completely unused. The local fire department had used it at times for fire training. I was surprised to find this left there, given it still has some gear on it. (Plus holy shit that is weird when you turn a corner and find 'somebody' sitting there on a couch.)


20. The building reminds me of old pictures of earthquakes.


21.


22. A scrappers dream


23. Amid all the debris, this solid blue door seemed to stand in contrast.


24. I accidentally kicked this on my way out of the site, and it seemed to speak of the building. It was lights out on this once useful home.

I went in there about a year ago and it was pretty empty and looked like they were doing work. There was a pretty cool church of some sort on the ground floor but it was really dark and I had no camera. The next time I went back with equipment there was some sort of work truck there. I called the number from the side of the truck and said I was a curious neighbor wondering if they knew what was to be done with the building. The woman on the phone started freaking out and got very defensive so I hung up and left.

PS, I almost busted my ass dropping down onto the slimy gym floor.

Posted by CatAndTie I called the number from the side of the truck and said I was a curious neighbor wondering if they knew what was to be done with the building. The woman on the phone started freaking out and got very defensive so I hung up and left.

haha why would she get defensive. Thats weird

Posted by Adv.Pack haha why would she get defensive. Thats weird

Yeah man... It was weird as hell. I was like, "hi I live in the area and saw your work truck parked by the old school and was wondering if you guys knew what the plans are for it?".

And then she was talking to some guy in the background like, " he's asking about our truck!!! Who is this?! What is your name?!" That kind of stuff.

Posted by CatAndTie PS, I almost busted my ass dropping down onto the slimy gym floor.

What was that like?

I happened to look through one of the busted out windows last winter, and it looked like it was full of water/ice. But I also had not realized until it was torn open, that there were two floors.