The G.W Ferris School is nestled in a residential area and built between 1911 and 1925. Dates were confirmed from 2 prominent corner stones. This site was discovered during a previous expedition in the area. Attracting the attention of locals was not a desired outcome so I kept the expedition brief.
Windows on the north and south facade of the building had no glass. Each classroom had old rotary phones and institutional clocks on the wall. The clocks reminded me of how long the minute hand took to reach the top of the hour when it was time to leave school. An incinerator on the North West side was accompanied by a tall industrial sized smokestack. A large open field with wild grasses growing everywhere surrounded the north side of the property. In the midst of this stood a large abandoned apartment building built in the Spanish/Moorish style (circa 1920’s).
Access to the inside was a scary and uncertain walk through a dark hallway. This may have formerly been a washroom or custodians room. There was very little light downstairs and no exits so getting ambushed would have ended badly. There was a bomb shelter in this building but time constrictions did not allow me to see it. Upstairs had ample light courtesy of the many windows that were open to the elements. Most classrooms were barren and devoid of any fixtures, however some teaching tools and furniture remained. The Beatrice water fountain on the second floor surrounded by beautiful colored tiles caught my eye. Storerooms on the second and third floors yielded piles of books decomposing. The athletic center pool was a cavernous room with minimal amounts of light pouring through broken ventilation fans creaking in the wind. The science and chemistry lab rooms were a surprise because the storage closet was still fully stocked with chemicals carefully labeled for each element in the periodic table. Some vintage cobalt blue glass bottles from the 1920’s were found, with original labels and dates. Most of the vintage bottles were gone on my second trip to the facility. For a school there were surprisingly few lockers. Even though the site was heavily scavenged there were a few artifacts of interest present.
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In the past people have asked how some urban centers fall into blight while leaving other areas unaffected. After comparing various urban centers in the United States, I noticed that urban blight is a social problem resulting from government policies at the federal and municipal level. In Detroit and New York, the building of freeways through communities allowed capital to flow out of urban areas to the suburbs. Urban blight is artificially created and can be easily reversed through capital investment. Economic and social breakdown of a city usually follows a pattern; federal government proposes a freeway through a community using eminent domain or neglects the area entirely, financial institutions follow the government’s lead, capital investment leaves the area along with jobs and infrastructure. Real estate brokers have capitalized and in some cases created these trends by fostering a general sense of panic by using tactics such as blockbusting. Gentrification is the reverse of this strategy.
This expedition highlighted one of the biggest challenges facing Detroit. Schools should be a number one priority for any municipality. Obviously good schools are important to families. Many potential home buyers have children. When families buy a home, the quality of local schools are strong factors in determining the value of an area. Proper infrastructure and economic investment ensure the stability of a neighborhood. Other important factors are taxes, parks and non-violent crime. If these criteria are met then people will want to live in these areas. Population density is essential because taxes paid to local governments are invested in local school systems. This trend does not last forever. As an area becomes more desirable, property values rise and a housing boom and bust cycle usually plays itself out. The 2009 mortgage loan crises are a perfect example of what happens when the housing bubble bursts. Charter schools do not address fundamental problems with the public school system.
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Part 1
A44-14, A44-15[D2] archives
Part 2
A46-3-AA3, A46-4 archives
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Tags: 35mm film, abandoned buildings, abandoned factories, abandoned hospitals, abandoned places, abandoned silos, analog photography, B&W, Canon t70 camera, Detroit abandoned buildings, Detroit architecture, Detroit Industrial buildings, Ferris School Detroit, G. W Ferris School Detroit, G. W Ferris School Part 1-2, industrial ruins, infiltration, manual photography, ruins, silent buildings, silent buildings.com, silentbuildings, silentbuildings.com, UE, urban decay, urban exploration, urban infiltration, urban ruins, Urbex, w roland hamilton
Where is this school located, exactly? I cannot find any information on a school with that name in Detroit. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Jessica,
I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, however at this time legal/liability concerns leave me unable to state exactly where these sites are or counsel you to explore them.
W. Roland Hamilton
Roland:
Ferris School was once a wonderful school with a good academic reputation. Many happy hours were spent there in elementary school. Your photos of the hallways, classrooms, and water fountain bring back memories of another time. The demise of Highland Park and its schools and buildings is tragic. Documenting this loss is painful but important. Thanks.
M.C. Kaiser,
Thanks for the information and I’m glad that the photos were able to help bring back good memories. Ford and Chrysler’s move from the area had a major effect on the local economy and infrastructure. Economic/population decline happened over a period of 30 + years due to decreasing employment opportunities in the manufacturing industry.
All my grade school years were spent at Ferris School, from 1954 until 1962. I lived in the Spanish/Moorish style building you spoke of, The Gloria, at 25 Highland Ave. I learned to swim in the pool at Ferris School. I was in the 4th grade, and in those days swimming, was part of our regular gym class. There used to be an official auditorium, where we had concerts, and put on plays. The auditorium was removed in the early 1960’s during an extensive renovation of the school. Growing up in Highland Park I saw the city change from a healthy, vital, and beautiful place, to one that became dangerous, and on the edge of decline in the middle 1960’s. I am now 60 years old, and not a month passes, that I don’t often think of Ferris School and Highland Park. For the last 37 years, I have lived in the Pacific Northwest, but each year, I return to Detroit, and sometimes I make my way to Highland Park. It has sadden me many time to see the blight, decay and destruction. But I have my memories . . .I wish you could see what I remember.
Thanks for sharing some of your memories of the Ferris School. The Gloria facade is still standing, buttressed by it’s remaining beams. Your information about the later renovation explains when the last addition was made. The swimming area had very little light, this hindered a proper view of the pools detail and design. The blight you spoke of is a direct result of manufacturing jobs leaving the Highland Park area from the 1950 onward. No new industry stepped to replace the lost jobs hence the situation today. If you have any more information regarding this school then please share.
W. Roland Hamilton