Poking Around in the Dark: the Deserted Jackson Middle School

Looking inside this once-grand school, it’s disheartening to see what has happened to it. Desertion and neglect is what happened.

The Andrew Jackson Intermediate school is located on the east side of Detroit, built in 1928. It has been called one of the most unique schools in Detroit. According to Detroit Urbex, the design includes “orange brick, masonry quoins (external cornerstones) along the edges of the building, and balustrades (ornamental railings) along the roof. Two lanterns are located above the main entrances.”

Aside from the design, it was typical of many schools of the time: various classrooms, auditorium, cafeteria, and library. The gym and swimming pool were added in 1930. After the space shuttle disaster in 1986, it was decided to rename the school in honor of the physicist who died in that explosion. The school was therefore called the Ronald McNair Middle School.

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The Downfall of Andrew Jackson Middle School

When it began the school held 2,200 students; by 2001, that number had dwindled to 1,100. The surrounding neighborhood was not doing well, either. Residents were packin’ up and movin’ out, leaving the school with a student body of 370 by 2007. Finally, after valiant efforts to save the school failed and over a million bucks needed for repairs, the school called it quits and was shut down in 2009. It briefly re-opened for students of Finney High as that school was being demolished. By 2012, the Jackson (McNair) school was left vacant and put on the market.

With trespassers, looters, squatters, thrillseekers, vandals, and scrappers breaking in and doing their damage, the school district gave up on trying to save it. In 2013, that was it.

Scroll down to the gallery and take a look inside the old school...