McIntosh School
DJT
Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
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.
Standing majestic with it's beautiful stained glass windows....
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.
Stained glass windows were sold and are being restored. The framing is being reconstructed by the new owners.
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.
More photos, Interior School & Gymnasium and Exteriors can be found:
http://dajatuphoto.com/Travel
http://www.saveauburnhighschool.com
http://www.McIntoshRemembered.com
Thank you.
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.
Standing majestic with it's beautiful stained glass windows....
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.
Stained glass windows were sold and are being restored. The framing is being reconstructed by the new owners.
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.
More photos, Interior School & Gymnasium and Exteriors can be found:
http://dajatuphoto.com/Travel
http://www.saveauburnhighschool.com
http://www.McIntoshRemembered.com
Thank you.
0
Comments
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.
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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.
The rafters above the gym floor had names of students written / scribbled all over them. None of these were saved.
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.
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.
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
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.
Goodbye McIntosh.... written on the chalkboard in the basement music room
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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
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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.
www.Dogdotsphotography.com
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.
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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.
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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 Some of my photos along with some bricks will be used in some sort of fundraising for future projects....
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.
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"
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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.
thanks!
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Regards,
-joel
Link to my Smugmug site
thanks
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Here's the Harrison portion of the elementary school that they wanted to renovate / demo
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David...you should really put all these photos into a book
www.Dogdotsphotography.com