Schools represent hope, youth, and life, and seem to hold an important place in the collective psyche. Abandoned schools, however, are universally associated with fear and haunting, which is why they make for a great setting in the horror genre. At the Alderson Academy in West Virginia, visitors can experience this juxtaposition of hope and neglect.
The History Of Alderson
Alderson is a small river town in southern West Virginia. From the beginning, sometime in the 1700s, the town has never had more than a few hundred households. Despite the town's location on both sides of the Greenbrier River and the abundance of land, Alderson's economy has always been in a state of austerity.
Today, by far, the biggest employer in the town is a Federal Prison Camp. One of the biggest economic booms in Alderson's recent history came when Martha Stewart was imprisoned at the Alderson Prison Camp, but the influx of media and attention was short-lived.
Almost 23% of the population lives below the poverty line, and the population is slowly dwindling.
The town of Alderson, despite its history and circumstances, is a charming example of smalltown Americana. To get a better sense of this endearing aspect of the town, check out the homepage of The Aldersonian, 'Alderson's Longest Running News Media'. The newspaper provides a glimpse into the community that makes up Alderson, from the local family-owned pharmacy to the vintage store that's also the oldest in town.
The History Of Alderson Academy
It's no surprise that the Alderson Academy, founded with great ambition in 1901, was doomed to end up abandoned.
The Academy was started as a private school. From the getgo, the school struggled to enroll students as there simply weren't enough families in town who could afford the fees. Things got even worse when public schools were opened and expanded, which provided a robust and competitive schooling alternative that poached the majority of students in town.
After scraping by for a few years, the Alderson Academy was faced with severe losses. Not willing to cut its losses, the Academy further invested in itself, and in 1918, and began offering two-year college-level courses, transforming itself into a private junior college. The building was expanded to accommodate the new facilities.
Americans were optimistic after the First World War as the world economy had restructured itself with America at the center. The roaring twenties fetched some much-needed success for the educational institution. Eager to capitalize on the good tidings, the Alderson Academy developed into a full-fledged four-year college.
Following the timeline of history, one can probably predict what happened next.
The Great Depression arrived in America and with it so did rampant destitution and inflation. Without a strong economy, the optimism that drove young adults to invest in their potential was thwarted. To secure an income in those days, it became a lot more practical to go to a trade school or join the army. Certainly for the families of Alderson who were forced to live off what little savings they had, attending an expensive private school and college made little practical sense.
After over 20 years of operation, the institution was financially ruined. The doors were shut for a couple of decades. During that time, the vacant building was used for various projects, all of which ultimately failed. The only notable use for the defunct academy was in the 1950s with the opening of Mountain State Baptist High School. The school serviced the area until the 80s when it, too, failed.
Following that, in the 90s, the building was converted to a residential complex. However, with very little economic activity in Alderson to attract renters, this endeavor didn't last long.
The Abandoned Alderson Academy
Today, the dilapidated remains of the Alderson Academy act as a grim reminder of the town's turbulent and unfortunate history. Visitors can enter the premises and observe the rotting corpse of the former educational institution.
The bottom floor is often flooded, the foundations have eroded, and the top floors have caved in. From the entrance, there's a grand staircase that leads nowhere. Visitors describe the abandoned building as chilling and eerie, but peaceful nonetheless - a reminder that all things come to an end, and that there is something beautiful and alluring about indefinite rest.
- The Alderson Academy can be found along Route 12
- The school is situated on the top of a hill in the center of the town
Getting to the school can be tricky as there are new residents who have settled around the premises. The privacy of the trailer homes that are parked in front of the school should be respected, so try and skirt around them while entering the building.