While the Rust Belt has suffered and declined significantly since its heyday in the years after World War 2, West Virginia has suffered more from, among other things, the decline of coal. Today there are lots of derelict buildings dotted round the Appalachian state.
The Rust Belt has numerous parts which are a metropolitan explorer's dream. Perhaps none more so the partly abandoned city of Detriot. West Virginia and the Rust Belt have very different vibes for abandoned buildings and of a period passed by.
The Decline Of The Number of Schools In West Virginia
Many of the schools in West Virginia were closed because of consolidations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this time period, West Virginia had a large number of schools. At one point the state had 6,156 schools in 395 districts, 40 high schools, 262 multi-room “graded” schools, and 5,854 one-room schools.
- Peak: 6,156 Schools
- 1960: 2,843 Schools
- 2000: 900 Schools
- 2013: 755 Schools
The small community-run schools were inefficient and disappeared from the larger metropolitan regions in the 19th century. But, naturally, they stuck around for longer in rural communities. Many of these small schools were one or two rooms and were even the center of dating life for the small, isolated communities.
The number of schools in the state dramatically fell and by 1960 there is less than half the previous number of schools at 2,843. These reforms were coupled with the loss of mining and other jobs which reduced the school-age population in many of West Virginia's counties. After the 20th century, there were less than 900 schools remaining in their state based on Abandonedonline.com.
According to Ballotpedia, by 2013 West Virginia had 283,044 students signed up for a total of 755 schools in 57 school districts.
Prosperity School – The little Isolated School That Held Out
One two-room isolated school called Prosperity School managed to persist for much longer. Prosperity School is situated on Great Flat Top Mountain coupled with around 41 students.
- Location: Great Flat Top Mountain
The school was refurbished in 1961 with its heating and water systems being upgraded – but there were insufficient funds to have an indoor restroom. The small isolated school managed to cling on with the 60s and 70s, but then events overtook it in the 80s.
- Abandoned: In 1982
By that time, the roads in this a part of Virginia had been improved there was a growing number of schools buses. As a result, the Prosperity School was forced to close.
McDowell Vocational School – Vocational Schools Lost within the Forest
Today the Mc Dowell Vocational School is definitely an abandoned school being reclaimed by the Appalachian forests. It was once a vocational school that offered 11 different workshop repairs with state-of-the-art equipment.
According to Abandonedonline.com, it was for white children, while the Prunty Trade School was designed for Black children. The Prunty Trade School taught electrical and mechanical skills and just classes in masonry, drafting, auto body repair, and welding – with outdated tools.
- Opened: The Prunty Trade School Openned in 1950
In 1965 a new vocational education facility was built and today the old schools remain and therefore are a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie.
Glen Jen School – The college Building With A New Lease of Life
Another abandoned school is that of Glen Jean School. Its history is unclear and Atlas Obscura isn't even sure it was an elementary school and a high school. Additionally they report, there are reports it was used like a hospital for some time.
The abandoned school belongs to the city of Glen Jean in West Virginia. The town began to compete with the neighboring town Thurmond (that's now a ghost town). Thurmond had a population of around 462 however nowadays it's deserted and most of it is a member of the National Park Service for the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (America's newest national park).
- Thurmond: The Rival Mining Town – Now A Ghost Town
- Glen Jean: The Gateway To New River Gorge
- Founded: By Thomas McKell – Bitter Rival Of Captain William Thurmond, founding father of Thurmond
The first schoolhouse burnt down in 1924 – that could have been deliberate at of arson by the neighboring bitter rival Thurmond. Your building one sees today was built immediately after 1925 using the second floor being added the following year.
The school functioned for around 70 years prior to being closed in 1997. It had been then purchased in 1999 to be a visitor center for Thurmond, Glen Jean, and also the Great New River Railroad. But that closed in 2006 following the railroad was sold.
- Today: Converted to a Skate/BMX Park
Until recently the Glen Jen School sat abandoned there were reports of the property being haunted. However in the 2010s your building got a new lease of life – it was gutted and converted into a Skate/BMX park.
