I photographed Kage School just before it closed in 1966, after 112 years of service. Here is what it looked like then. Follow this link to read the amazing history of this progressive school.
47 years later
One of my readers mentioned that they had been inside the school and had been disappointed at its condition. I made a quick stop and found that it was rough, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had expected. This shot was taken from just about the same spot at the 1966 photo. It’s funny how much bigger the room felt with kids in it.
Is it haunted?
There are two questions I get asked a lot: “Is it haunted?” “Is there a tunnel leading down to the river as part of the Underground Railroad?”
I can pretty much always answer the latter as “No.” The jury is out on the first question. I don’t know about “haunts,” but I can feel some kind of spirits or vibes in some buildings. It’s probably my overactive imagination, but something triggers a reaction that I hope is reflected in some of my photos.
More often than not, I wonder about the people who passed through the buildings. Who, for example, was the last child to write addition tables on this board before the door was closed for the last time?
Every once in awhile, not often, a building will hit me stronger than I like.
Why this and not that?
Why would someone leave behind a roll of toilet paper or some tiny bowls?
Flash cards, books and bingo cards
The kids who used these items have grandkids and maybe great-grandkids today. I wonder if they are some of the ones who carved their names in the bricks in the back of the school?
Earlier Kage School stories
- The history of the school
- Initials going back to 1899 are scratched in the bricks
- Kage School is on Endangered Building List
Kage School photo gallery
Here are photos of the interior of the school. Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the sides to move through the gallery.
