February 17, 2018 Urban Exploring in Gary Part 3

The last stop of my abandoned building tour was Horace Mann High School. This school was opened with much fanfare in 1928 and was closed in 2004. Like most abandoned buildings, vandals, looters and the elements have taken a huge toll on this once grand building. I have thought about this for the past three weeks as I went through the pictures I took...there is a bit of sadness and some anger that I feel. But there is also something harder to describe. A strange beauty I see in decaying buildings. I have been fascinated by old buildings all my life. Maybe it is the history that interests me, maybe it is the beautiful architecture but there is something about them that draws me in.

 I have said during conversations about religion or the destruction of our planet that it would be interesting to me to witness the end of mankind. I love the Walking Dead for that same reason. It makes you think about what you would do in that situation. I guess I enjoy thinking about that because in a small way...

...walking down a hallway like this makes me feel like the end of the world is closer than it seems. 

So take what you will from viewing these photos but I also hope that maybe you know a building near you that should be saved...and you choose to help save it. 

Arsonists burned the auditorium so only the metal frames and springs are left of the seats.

Not sure if this is a lament or sarcasm.

It surprises me that looters left all the metal lockers.

The smaller of the two gymnasiums.

Even graffiti artists understand what needs to be done.

I love @POETRYBYBOOTS.

The lower floors were ice covered probably water left after the fires were put out.

The basement swimming pool.

There was a bomb shelter in the basement with leftover survival supply containers...

...and a message with directions.

The main gymnasium...

...with major damage to the relatively new floor. The gym was remodeled just a few years before the school closed.

My personal favorite of these pictures.

A metaphorical photo message.

Someone should have used this pamphlet instead of leaving it on the floor.

This is a close second to my previous favorite photograph.

February 17, 2018 Urban Exploring in Gary Part 2

The next stop was originally known as the Ralph Waldo Emerson School went it opened in 1909. It was also known as the Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts when it closed in 2008. The past ten years have not been kind to the once grand building as you can see in these pictures. It was abandoned by the Gary School board due to a severe mold issue and pretty much left to decay on it's own. I don't have a lot of words to say about my visit. At times I was impressed by something I saw in here. But mostly I was disheartened by how much history was just discarded like it wasn't worth the trouble to save it. 

Definitely appropriate graffiti. 

I understand taking what you can salvage and graffiti artists using the abandoned walls, but why come here just to destroy things.

There was lots of music sheets and booklets in the storage area.

After walking through the decaying hallways, I guess I focused on more historical items in the dark storage area upstairs. 

 

The "Work - Study - Play" was the motto of this school and it's first superintendent William Wirt.

The Gary Poetry Project has several panels on the old school.

"just love

we hear about it's arrival, we had three seasons yesterday

put the phone down, enjoy the view...breathe

and death comes" 

- from a poem, "Summer Sun, Summer Fun" on the side of an abandoned school building