McIntosh School

DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
edited November 23, 2009 in Landscapes
To some it was just a High School, a Jr. High and eventually an Elementary, while others will say it was the Heart of the City, but to the School Board... well.... it was just a piece of land

Mr. William H McIntosh, a dedicated educator in the early 1900's saw a need and donated his city block to build a new High School in the town of Auburn. He laid the first brick, which building was delayed for WWI and then finally laid the last brick. McIntosh High School was born.

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Standing majestic with it's beautiful stained glass windows....
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The School Board had an open house, "memories" were auctioned off while other "memories" were saved an placed in storage for displays in a proposed park. While many community citizens were trying to save McIntosh and ready to speak at the School Board Meeting for one last chance to save the school; the demo started a few hours before the meeting ahead of schedule.

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Stained glass windows were sold and are being restored. The framing is being reconstructed by the new owners.

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The original deed was found - it was written that when the school was no longer used as a High School it was to be given back to WH McIntosh or his heirs. It stopped being a high school in the mid 1960's. Then it was used as a Jr. High till the early 1970's and was used as an Elementary till the early 90's. After that it was used for not-for-profits and even a Church occupied one floor and our School System used it as an Alternative High School. Clean up is still going on with the land. Before the School was razed the Almni Gymnasium was razed, which someone even tried to purchase to use as a community center and had a restaurant interested.

The community is sickened by the lost of it's "Heart" and are still hoping the Schooh Board will "DO THE RIGHT THING" and give the land back to the McIntosh family for a future community center in honor of William H McIntosh.

Thus: McIntosh Arts and Community Collaborative (MACC) was born
A county wide not-for-profit group aimed at historic preservation and revitalization through the promotion of artistic, cultural, and intellectual efforts within the DeKalb County (Indiana) community.
704505848_c2W4S-Th.jpg More photos, Interior School & Gymnasium and Exteriors can be found:
http://dajatuphoto.com/Travel
http://www.saveauburnhighschool.com
http://www.McIntoshRemembered.com

Thank you.
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Comments

  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited November 20, 2009
    Hi David :D

    What a sad thing to happen.

    The last photo is really hearbreaking. Open windows, broken backside and barren trees.

    Hopefully something good will come out of all this.
  • SamirDSamirD Registered Users Posts: 3,474 Major grins
    edited November 20, 2009
    So sad I can't put it into words. :cry The history, the architecture, everything about it.
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  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited November 20, 2009
    A few years ago, the Gymnasium was having structural problems. The School put thousands of dollars into it... then a few years later razes it ??? They said there were no offers on saving it. Yeah, many groups wanted to, but no offers made. But if you ask a few people and offer was made, but the SB never replied to it.

    The name plates (front and rear) were saved. One of them broke but they say they will fix it. The Gym was built a few years later after the School. The campus was 2 city blocks, 1 block being deeded by WH McIntosh and hopefully will be given back to the heirs as per the deed.

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    The rafters above the gym floor had names of students written / scribbled all over them. None of these were saved.

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    The above photo was taken during the open house... one last walk through. The picture below... well yeah... it's another photo that brings tears to many. Between the 2 white wires on the rafter is a white spot, those are names of students like the photo above.

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    The classroom below; painted by the Church that occupied that floor, was also my Fathers classroom in the 1960's. This was the first and last time that I've ever seen his classroom.

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    The glass blocks that were above the windows in my Dad's classroom. I, like all the others, wrote a letter to the School Board asking them to not raze the building but let MACC purchase it for a community center; however I did ask if they do continue with their plans that I might have a glass block from that room. I had 3, one for each of us kids

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    Written on one of the chalk boards on the 2nd floor: The community wanted "BLOOD" and they showed the school board in letters, at the school board meetings and in the newspaper.
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    Goodbye McIntosh.... written on the chalkboard in the basement music room
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  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited November 20, 2009
    Its a shame that the beam wasn't saved :cry
  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited November 20, 2009
    Dogdots wrote:
    Its a shame that the beam wasn't saved :cry

    yeah.... more like 5 beams. As they were knocking the building down, I even saw more that I hadn't gotten a photo of. :cry
  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited November 20, 2009
    DJT wrote:
    yeah.... more like 5 beams. As they were knocking the building down, I even saw more that I hadn't gotten a photo of. :cry

    What a bummer. You should of just run up and asked the bulldozer guy to stop for a second and went in and grabbed them. Then again...I bet they were heavy.
  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited November 21, 2009
    Dogdots wrote:
    What a bummer. You should of just run up and asked the bulldozer guy to stop for a second and went in and grabbed them. Then again...I bet they were heavy.

    that and an orange fence saying "Trespassers will be prosecuted" signs posted every 30 feet.

    However... one citizen went around a barricade and tried to run over a worker.
  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited November 21, 2009
    DJT wrote:
    that and an orange fence saying "Trespassers will be prosecuted" signs posted every 30 feet.

    However... one citizen went around a barricade and tried to run over a worker.

    Run over a worker -- not good.

    Is the mess still there -- can you go in and retreive a beam or two still? When something like this happens you have to "make friends" with the workers. That way they'll let you in to retreive something when they take a break.
  • SamirDSamirD Registered Users Posts: 3,474 Major grins
    edited November 21, 2009
    What was the reason again for tearing down a structure that was still intact and useful? headscratch.gif
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  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited November 21, 2009
    Dogdots wrote:
    Is the mess still there -- can you go in and retreive a beam or two still? When something like this happens you have to "make friends" with the workers. That way they'll let you in to retreive something when they take a break.

    Yes... a few members of MACC became friends with the workers and many things were retrieved. But no beams... that was before the friendship.

    I didn't become friends (first name basis) like a few members, but taking 1100 photos, they did start waving after a few visits thumb.gif Some of my photos along with some bricks will be used in some sort of fundraising for future projects....
    SamirD wrote:
    What was the reason again for tearing down a structure that was still intact and useful? headscratch.gif

    Yeah.... most of the town wonders the same thing. We were told that there were structural problems, but also a team of engineers went through and said the building was good. ne_nau.gif

    Also... when asking for the SB to delay for a bit to raise some funds to save the school, we were told by the SB that it was out of their hands and we'd have to ask the demolition crew for permission. When asking them, they told us to tell the SB....

    I figured they went ahead with the demolition ahead of schedule just because there was suppose to be a large group at the next SB meeting and they didn't want to deal with it. They started and well... the board room was standing room only. One SB member said, "Well, I'm disappointed with my community". And he was "booooooooooooo'd"
  • SamirDSamirD Registered Users Posts: 3,474 Major grins
    edited November 21, 2009
    Sounds like a fundamental failure on the part of the School Board. I smell corruption and money involved somewhere. eek7.gif
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  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited November 21, 2009
    Your photos to help raise money for future projects -- that's a good thing thumb.gif Just keep it away from the school board.
  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited November 21, 2009
    SamirD wrote:
    Sounds like a fundamental failure on the part of the School Board. I smell corruption and money involved somewhere. eek7.gif

    Yep.... recently they wanted to renovate the elementary, which part of the building is from the 1930's. The plan was to demo that part as well and build a new edition on to it. Well.... it's been table for the moment - something about it costing more than expected. But they held town hall meetings to ask opinions on what to do.
    Dogdots wrote:
    Your photos to help raise money for future projects -- that's a good thing thumb.gif Just keep it away from the school board.

    thanks!
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,680 moderator
    edited November 21, 2009
    Wow, what an outrage. Great bit of journalism there, DJT. Honestly, something like deserves national attention. From the sound of it, this is a piece of Americana, gratuitously destroyed. Maybe a 60 Minutes episode: "What Happened to McIntosh High?" Seriously, I'd be contacting the media. That school board has some answering to do.

    Regards,
    -joel
  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited November 22, 2009
    kdog wrote:
    Wow, what an outrage. Great bit of journalism there, DJT. Honestly, something like deserves national attention. From the sound of it, this is a piece of Americana, gratuitously destroyed. Maybe a 60 Minutes episode: "What Happened to McIntosh High?" Seriously, I'd be contacting the media. That school board has some answering to do.

    Regards,
    -joel

    thanks
  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2009
    Appeared as a "letter to the editor" in our local newspaper....
    The school board wanted to tear down or renovate Harrison School, or build a new school on the site of former McIntosh High School, or on McIntosh and renovate McKenney, or on property east of Auburn, or at Watson Elementary School in east Auburn, or property east of Auburn and renovating McKenney-Harrison.

    It appears they were counting on a low- or no-interest loan, and that is not likely.

    Does the school board have a clue what they are doing?

    What they have accomplished is turning beautiful, historic McIntosh High School into a pile of rubble.

    Here's the Harrison portion of the elementary school that they wanted to renovate / demo

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  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2009
    Sounds like the school board wanted to do a lot of things, but really didn't know what they wanted other then to tear something down. Gotta really wonder what this group of people were really thinking. It all will come out in time.....

    David...you should really put all these photos into a book thumb.gif
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