School of American Murals, USA

This School of American Murals was built in the 1890s. This huge school has lain abandoned for over half a decade. We visited this location near the end of the first half of our amazing USA Road Trip 2018.

This was once an elementary school (equivalent to an English Primary School). Subsequently, the school was expanded numerous times over the decades. Undoubtedly, the main highlight here was the mint-coloured auditorium.

The interesting (former) murals

Sadly, the murals had been removed from the school prior to our visit. The photos of the auditorium show the areas where they where once installed.

Originally there were 25 panels. These were added in the 1920s. Scenes from American history were featured on every wall. The topics depicted were varied. Some panels showed images of Native American life, before the Europeans arrived on the Mayflower. Other panels illustrated the westward colonisation of the States, the march of progress spread across the Wild West. Additionally, several key events in the life of Lincoln were also featured.

Closure of the School of American Murals

The local district announced a school closure program in the early 2010s. This low income area had been undergoing population decline over recent years. Many schools were operating far below capacity. Class sizes had shrunk to unsustainable levels. The closure of this school was announced and time frame dictated.

In total around 50 other schools were closed, their pupils being transferred to other campuses. Local teachers, parents, and pupils were in an uproar. This is said to have been one of the largest mass school closures in the nation’s history. To quell the protests, officials had promised to repurpose the sites. They pledge the buildings would continue to benefit the community, albeit in other ways. Although this has been achieved with some of the sites, many of the schools still lay shuttered and empty.