Abandoned school 'frozen in time' with decades-old graffiti and piles of books

26 May 2023 , 10:16

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Eerie images have emerged of an abandoned school that has been left untouched for decades - with graffiti on its walls, destroyed chairs and books still in classrooms.

The 100-year-old institution in Upstate New York was closed in the 1980s after a larger school was built nearby in 1958.

The building has since been left abandoned, despite attempts by the town to restore the school to its former glory.

Now, urban explorer Dave, known as Freaktography, has visited the school, sharing photos and videos with his 31,000 followers on TokTok.

An image shows a huge pile of books and papers are shown left in an alcove, with graffiti above reading: "YA NERD."

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Abandoned school 'frozen in time' with decades-old graffiti and piles of books

The school has been left untouched for 50 years (Jam Press/Freaktography)

Another snap reveals several lone chairs, which have been pulled from the ground and moved around the building, being positioned in doorways, stairways and even outside.

One shot shows a large hall with large chunks of the walls and ceiling collapsed, as well as piles of broken chairs and old books laid strewn on the floor.

"For me, this was a great explorations and I took my time, as I was in no hurry to leave," Dave, from Ontario, Canada, said.

The school is located in Upstate New York (Jam Press/Freaktography)

"I wanted to take in every room, hallway and floor, as the decay and ruins were so advanced.

"It seems that this is the kind of place where several generations of the same families attended the school, often having the same teachers through decades and generations."

Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with many left thinking about how busy the building used to be.

The building shows signs of decay (Jam Press/Freaktography)

"Crazy to think tens maybe even hundred of thousands of kids once wondered those hallways and not it's just a memory," one person said.

Another user added: “I dream of discovering a school with old school desks and another blackboard. Another very nice series Dave as always. Must have been a nice trip."

"No complaints here!! What a gorgeous place," someone else commented.

Chairs appear destroyed due to the passing of time (Jam Press/Freaktography)

There are still books inside classrooms (Jam Press/Freaktography)

One person added: "This is so stunning and scary…Thanks for sharing."

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"Schools always get me… great shots and story," another user commented.

Dating back to 1823, the once one-room school has undergone several changes throughout the years, growing exponentially into the abandoned building it is today.

A bike left inside the abandoned school (Jam Press/Freaktography)

In the 1860s, the original schoolhouse was replaced with a two-storey building, later becoming the first dedicated grade school in Upstate New York in the 1890s.

Then, the land was acquired by the local school board in 1916, with the construction of a high school beginning four years later. It was then abandoned.

There are graffiti on the walls of the old school (Jam Press/Freaktography)

In 2022, the town proposed the building to be transformed into a senior centre with 47 apartments, receiving a grant of $4.6million (£3.7million) from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as a further grant of $1million (£800,000).

But sadly, due to rising renovation costs and extensive unforeseen damage to the building, developers were forced to leave the project in February 2023, leaving the building abandoned once again.