Photo: The main entrance to Horace Mann High School boarded up.
The now abandoned Horace Mann High School served the Gary community from 1928 to 2004. The building takes its namesake from the progressive education reformer Horace Mann who advocated many of the things taken for granted in modern schools. As editor of the Common School Journal Mann advocated for public funding of public education, that public education be secular, available regardless of sex or race, that teachers be accredited, and that education focus on supporting American democratic ideals. Mann also recognized the importance of an expanded curriculum, comfortable learning facilities, and providing instructional material. During his lifetime these controversial ideas were considered a radical departure from the status quo. Most Americans today would not disagree with Mann’s basic assumptions about education, since education is so important and that’s why using resources like igcse and a-level tuition centre could be really helpful for this.
Photo: Horace Mann High School postcard with a waterfront scene. (Source: Ancestry.com)
In the early years though the Horace Mann building served grades 1 to 12. During those formative years middle and high school students were organized using the platoon system implemented by Gary Schools Superintendent William Albert Wirt. Wirt was a conservative progressive who sought to maximize education resources and applied business theory to their organization. The “platoon system” alternated the amount of time students spent with regular and specialized teachers. Course work not only included the fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also vocational studies specifically designed to give students demonstrable skills.
Photo: Horace Mann in 1950. Notice the pond waterfront, which is now a parking lot. (Source: Children of the Mill: Schooling and Society in Gary, Indiana, 1906-1960.)
Wirt’s platoon system became internationally famous and was dubbed the Gary System. It even garnered the praise of influential progressive education reformer John Dewey. Lawrence A. Cremin writes in his 1961 book The Transformation of the School, that “Wirt’s notion was not only to afford each child vastly extended educational opportunity–in playgrounds, gardens, libraries, gymnasiums and swimming pools, art and music rooms, science laboratories, machine shops and assembly halls–but to make the school the true center of the artistic and intellectual life of the neighborhood.” (Source: Quote found in Blueprint for Change by David J. Hoff.) Wirt’s education system remained in place until his passing in 1938. By 1940 the school would abandon the platoon system of organization and assign one teacher per class.
Photo: Auditorium seating photo taken by re-Verse.
At the very heart of Horace Mann is a spacious auditorium. Every Horace Mann student spent some portion of their school day in this room engaged in an academic activity. After school hours the auditorium played host to community meetings, extra-curricular events, PTA, and even screenings of Hollywood movies for 10 cents. All of the other academic rooms, with the exception of the modern gymnasium, physically surround the auditorium. For the community at large Horace Mann was a vital organ of the city of Gary.
Photo: The science labs had a lot of equipment left behind. Unfortunately vandals have destroyed much of it.
When we arrived at the site of Horace Mann I had significant doubts about gaining access. The first floor windows were entirely boarded up. All of the steel doors around the perimeter were welded shut. Even for a Sunday morning there was significant activity in the area. We circled around the entire building and spotted two possible entry points. The first would have most likely caused deep cuts had I tried to squeeze through it. The second less obvious entry point was dirty, swarming with mosquitos, and required an acrobatic feat to get through. But get in we did.
Photo: A cross section of the human head in one of the science labs.
My urbex partner and I spent the next six and half hours wandering through the stiflingly humid halls. The enormity of it all was intimidating and yet so very fascinating. It took every ounce of strength to continue on after a full day of urbex the day before. Fatigue, intrigue, and adrenaline definitely impacted the quality of the photos I took. I’m thankful that I snapped so many shots because my camera SD card corrupted when I got home, effectively wiping out around 25% of the shots.
Photo: Apple II hardware was littered throughout the building. (Editor’s sidenote: As an Apple collector it saddened me to see so much good hardware go to waste. There were many IIe and II+ units.)
As a Bachelor of Education graduate, I found the Horace Mann building to be one of the most interesting urbex sites I have ever been to. Most of the damage within the building has not been done by the natural force of decay. It is clear from the exposed ceilings that metal strippers have taken anything of worth. A pile of ashen books set alight by some arsonist sits outside the administration office. A row of burned black seats no longer conforms to uniform red in the auditorium. The science labs are littered with smashed pyrex glass, unknown chemical substances, and preserved specimens. Old Apple computer equipment with the rainbow logo lies all around in hallways, gymnasiums, and classrooms. A disheveled teachers lounge was packed with visual aids, books, and prefabricated lesson plans. Trophies bearing the school’s victories were strewn throughout the building in odd places. Chalkboards bear the names of previous urban explorers, some of whom I recognize.
Photo: View of the modern gymnasium. Lack of climate control has severely warped the floor of the basketball court. This room was actually completely dark and the photo was created using a really long exposure. The light in the foreground is from Nick Forslund’s iPhone 4 LED while the brighter streaks of light are from my flashlight.
Video: Analog camcorder video digitized and uploaded by jrex66 on YouTube.
Roy Herold from the Class of 1964 has a touching farewell to Horace Mann in Gary’s West Side: The Horace Mann Neighborhood.
They may tear it down, but Horace Mann will live on until the last graduate passes from this earth, and even then the stories will have been passed to the next generation. Stories that tell of Gary’s Camelot that was once known as Horace Mann School.”
I did not graduate from Horace Mann, but I certainly will pass this story on. American Urbex exists to do just that.
Resources:
My Flickr Set – Horace Mann High School
Amy Heiden’s Flickr Set – Horace Mann School, Gary
Nitram242’s Flickr Set – Gary School System
Gary’s West Side: The Horace Mann Neighborhood
Children of the Mill: Schooling and Society in Gary, Indiana, 1906-1960
Horace Mann High School – Official Webpage
Horace Mann High School – Alumni Social Network Site
Gary Comprehensive Plan – State of the City Report (PDF)
My Horace Mann Online – Neglected Alumni Page
A Blueprint for Change – Article contains quotes from early alumni
cool story, I liked the old historic photos,
Thank you!
After all these years there are still a lot of good memories.
this place is sealed good now
Give it time. Things will open up. They always do. 😀
My father, sister and myself graduated from here. What a pity a building once so filled with life and students of promise should look like this. The sort of things we had at our disposal as youth…auditorium, 2 gyms, 2 pools, labs, etc. were unique for that time. Another sign of urban decadence and another beautiful architectural building gone in Gary. What a sad statement.
Oh Horace Mann we’re true to you. Although we roam the whole world through. Forever and ever, our hearts will not severe…….(our school song)
Hello:
How are you? Can you give me the lyrics to the school song?
.
Does anyone know if the City of Gary would be interested in partnering with a Not For Profit organization to reopen this school? If you have any information that would be helpful such as contact people, governmental officials etc. please email me at: DVFIORG@aol.com. Thank You
Thanks for this site….however, as an HM alum (1960), I do have one small correction. HM was a school for children K-12, not 1-12, as stated in the narrative. Given that some schools STILL do not offer kindergarten, this is more important than it may seem on the surface. My brother and I both were fortunate enough to attend this great school K-12, and received a terrific education there!
I went to Kindergarten 1/2 day there, then 1st grade. When I was in 2nd we moved over to the new John H. Vohr next door. My 3 brothers and 1 sister graduated from Horace Mann. We moved and I graduated from Wirt. So sad to see this and I agree, the waste that was lying around was sickening.
It was a great school, even if the teacher used to throw erasers at the kids. I was a lot of fun with some Great Kids that made large impact on society after they left.
Remember Old Lady Davidson??
Orpha Davidson! Yes! She was my Home Room teacher from 1945-49.
Did everyone notice the suspended ‘running’ track above the gym floor. I remember chugging around that circle with Coach Oppman telling me to get my fat behind moving!! My favorite teacher was George Abel who got me through Geometry. He is still around and I see him occasionally.
Thanks for posting the photos. I taught at Horace Mann shortly before it closed. I would love to see more photos, are they posted on any other sites? Did you find the nuclear shelter under the school on your exploration?
My husband and I were just there in the beginning of Jan, 2012, and we were so, so saddened to see the wreckage of what once was a landmark of education for the city of Gary, Indiana. Windows broken out, doors boarded up, grafitti seemed to be the “menu” of the day, and yet thr building is still there. Aw, so many memories, for so many, for so many years. My husband graduated from Horace Mann, but I didn’t. I graduated from Gary Edison, which is in as bad of shape as HM. Why in the world would people do this to buildings that have been “put out to pasture”?? Gary, once a thriving US major city, is next to a ghost town now, and all I could think while viewing all the carnage was, “Wow, the death of a city! How sad….”
Good riddence to Horace Mann and his brainwashing Public School Prison system. Interest based democratic education is the way of the future.
Thank you for your wonderful efforts to share these memories. As a HM scholar it was great “walking the corridors” and being on stage, again. Sorry you missed the shots of the empty pools–yes, two pools! We seemed to have so many extra-curricular activities to attend after school to keep busy, too. So many choices and clubs to join–hardly an educational system where “brainwashing” was taking place. College was encouraged at Mann. Proud I am a college grad! Once, again…..thanks for the memories.
Thanks for the photos. I remember the two pools and the running track above the gym. I remember when we had swimming lessons in one half of the pool a couple of girls would practice synchronized swimming on the other half, to Herb Albert’s “The Lonely Bull” This was around 1968. The Gary schools were ahead of their time. I remember when we moved to Highland in 1969 and there were not two pools and we did not change classes every hour. It was like a step back. The pond separating Horance Mann from John Vohr elementary was cool too.
During a summer program, I learned how to swim, in the Horace Mann pool, that was around 1957.
I later graduated in 1967
Thank you for posting this site. I have a trophy case full of fond memories at Horace Mann. I hope to share some of those memories and rekindle friendships at the class of 1971 reunion this June (2012). I am saddened by the blight and decay of HM.
Do you have any info regarding class of 1971 reunion?
No.
[…] daily visitors. Wirt would later reuse many design elements from Emerson in the world famous Horace Mann High School on the west side of […]
Anyone from the class of “90” still around
I graduated from HM in 1964. Those were the good old days if you will. Times sure have changed over the years, and I can’t really say for the better either. I was a member of the HM rifle club. Anyone remember that. There was a shooting range in the basement of the school.. I carried my rifle to school and know body thought to much of it. Now, kids have to go through ‘metal detectors’ to enter the school in some town. And we had lots of great times at the ‘drive in’ resturants with car-hops.
Wow! Never thought I would see the inside of my school again. It’s heart breaking to see the deplorable conditions. I attended HM 6th thru 12th grade and graduated in the class of 1962. My 2 brothers and my sister also attended and graduated from HM. We will soon celebrate our 50th class reunion, this will be my first, and viewing these photos brought back so many memories. I thought the school was still open and planned to visit while back for the reunion. So I really appreciated seeing these photos. It was a GREAT school and an asset to the community. Thank you
My father graduated from HM. What a shame such a wonderful architectural building can be left to rot. Until the day he died my father always called Horace Mann the best school Gary ever had. Tons of war stories from when he went there. Makes you wonder what life was like in Gary before the fall of the steel industry destroyed this city.
Does anyone remember an Arnold Ronald Hardesty? What year would he have attended Horace Mann?
My mother was in the 1929 graduating class. My sister Gloria graduated in 1952, and my sister Jean in 1954. I was in the class of 1960. My dad quit to support his mother and later graduated from Emerson night school. My dad and I both were taught by Mr. French and learned drafting. Both my sisters, myself, AND my mother were taught by Mrs. “mama Flu” Fluelling. I remember we ice-skated on the pond when it froze in the winter, and the dances (sock-hops) in the girls gym after football games. Most of all I remember we talked, we laughed, and we shared. Thank you, Ted Mietzner
hello. I am an urban explorer and i recovered a class pic from 1952, If you would like to get it for yourself you your sister just drop me an email. ct.anderson@ymail.com
it was a perfect school. great building-great teachers- great kids. my brotherand sister also went k to 12 and all have only wonderfil memories. i graduated in 53 with a class of terrific kids.
I was an NCD and an IWW from my Algebra teacher, Mrs. Davidson, but I learned a lot from her. Thanks to Mr. Chance I was able to stay in school.
I attended Horace Mann K-12 (YES, it DID include Kindergarten). I graduated in 1960. A note of significance….we had not just ONE gymnasium, but TWO….one for the boys and one for the girls. We also had TWO swimming pools….again one for each. Horace Mann was a treasure and we had wonderful teachers to go with it.
I was 1983 homecoming queen. My mother taught here. I fell in love here and married my high school sweetheart 30 years after ge first asked me – We are strong! We have an Annual all class reunion the first weekend after labor day! We are still…!
I graduated from HM in 1940 & now live in FL. Can you provide any details on the all class reunion? I would love to attend and make contact with any grads from my era.
[…] Ken Fager discovered this vandalized Apple IIe in the computer lab of abandoned Horace Mann High School in Gary, Indiana. Behind it sit stacks of boxlike PC compatibles and various monitors strewn around […]
[…] Ken Fager discovered this vandalized Apple IIe in the computer lab of abandoned Horace Mann High Schoolin Gary, Indiana. Behind it sit stacks of boxlike PC compatibles and various monitors strewn around […]
[…] Ken Fager discovered this vandalized Apple IIe in the computer lab of abandoned Horace Mann High Schoolin Gary, Indiana. Behind it sit stacks of boxlike PC compatibles and various monitors strewn around […]
I went to this high school in the 9th & 10th grade. There were students of every race and denomination (although a large part of the population was Jewish).
I had a lousy (bigoted) lit instructor and great lit instructor. I learned to live with all types of people and many of my closest friends where hispanic. Most of the teacher were great. Most of the students were also.
We had every thing there to prepare a person for college including Hebrew, German, Russian, Spanish, French and Latin (I believe there were several other languages taught). I took Spanish III and Russian while there. I was friends with Mayor Katz daughters and met two of my life long friends there.
It is sad to see it abandoned and shut up.
Interesting read. I came across a 1929 Horace Manual while cleaning out an estate. So naturally I had to google the school information. Sad that it is in such ruins.
I graduated from HM in 1944. – when it was the best school of Gary – i.e., our graduates did everything the best! Went to the state basketball championship – best academic record – best rate of HS graduation – I do remember Mrs. Fluelling – Mrs. Frolik – the gym teachers – my physics teacher – the daily flag-raising in front -Mr. Trump – the beautiul woods and pond with swans – the dances in the gym every Saturday night – the Horace Manual – Ms McWilliams, all the wonderful teachers – the cafeteria – the boys going off to the army the day after graduation –
Too sad to contemplate. The school and Gary are disasters. We have our precious memories. Keep them –
I graduated from Horace Mann High School in 1969. My name then was Hilda Judith Vazquez, but now I go by Judy Hughes (married name). I received an excellent education at Horace Mann High School and I loved the diversity that I was exposed to. It had a very competitive environment and it prepared you for the real world. It too saddened me that the beautiful school was boarded up. It is sad to me now that I didn’t get my 1969 yearbook when I graduated, but I have wonderful memories of the excellent high school I was fortunate to attend.
I received a great education at Horace Mann High School in Gary, Indiana. It provided a competitive environment. We had great teachers of different ethnic backgrounds. Although 75% of the school body was Jewish, there was still diversity. I had my first African American English teacher, Mrs. MdDowell, who believed in me. Although this article reminded me of the fine school I attended, it also caused me great sadness to read that its doors were closed for good. I thank my daughter for finding this article and sharing it with me.
One day while riding in the car, we rode past this school and I thought what did this place look like back in the 1950s-1960s. I googled it and was led here. Horace Mann was a beautiful school and it such a shame that it’s boarded up and closed! I loved looking at the old pictures of the pond and the school. And reading the comments makes me wish I was alive back then to attend(:
Our Dad graduated in 34or 35 I think…Edward Hurley, if anyone has a yearbook….lol…post a pic if you can…thank you
I still find it sad to see Horace Mann Closed, what a great place to work, great Cadets, Family and Staff that really formed me into an Army JROTC Instructor. There will always be a Special Place in my Heart for the time at Horace Mann.
This was the amazing high school I graduated from in 1969. I consider myself so fortunate to have attended such an awesome school with its great curriculum and staff!!
Anyone remember marching on state street in Chicago in the 60’s
Yes! In the freezing cold Christmas Parade every year! My sister and I were majorettes and my poor parents never got to take any summer vacations because we had band practice all summer and of course 4th of July parades in Blue Island and other places. It was the best of times!
Curious as to what happened to the paintings that hung on the walls on the third floor study hall, There were some rather expensive pieces in that collection,, While we are still alive, we should band together and demand to knows what happen to the objects that helped form the memories of our past
[…] exploring the deserted stays of Horace Mann High School in Gary, Indiana, photographer Ken Fager stumbled throughout the college’s pc lab. There, […]