If Stephen King were to set a story in a spooky old school, this would be it. I was in Orford, NH and pulled into the driveway of a newer school building to reprogram my GPS. Losing the signal on backroads is getting to be routine. Signs at the school directed me to exit out the back of the school property where I found this old school building.
It was built in 1851 and was then called the Orford Academy Building. It was in use until 2002. From the back, I could see the bell is still in the tower. An article I found in the local paper said the town is trying to work with a developer to convert it into ten senior housing units.
Looking at the back of the building, it’s amazing how nature just begins to reclaim things that we don’t continue to maintain.
Milford Street 
I am an educator and it breaks my heart to see schools being closed down (for what ever reason) i felt like it much needed…that old school is really beautiful…the structure is very interesting..
I find it interesting too!
Its really beautiful
❤❤
Yeah ✨
Thank you, Saania. Have a great day.
I agree, Michelle. I mean there is a new school to replace it, but it would be good to see it serving the community in some fashion.
I witness the closure of a 65 year old last standing all girls school back home and it made me really sad…i mean it was part of the community history and have produced really successful students, sadly though they have to close.
That is sad. It must have been difficult for you and the community to see it close.
It was so hard…my daughters all went there for school…i taught there too for a while…
I think schools and churches and such are more than just buildings. They beome embued with a part of us. My brother-in-law retired from teaching last year when they closed the old school he’d taught in his whole career.
so cool and spooky at the same time!!
That’s why I’m drawn to photograph old abandoned things. Thank you.
The first shot definitely has a Stephen King vibe to it. I hope it can be repurposed.
I hope so too.. It’s beautiful. Perhaps one of these stimulus bills will include money that can be used towards it. It would put people to work.
That’s great idea!
Its amazing,took me to old shool fond memories
Thank you so much. Yes, those older schools had an interesting feel to them.
Np at all I always try to make a constant effort to read your blogs which is extremly intersesting by means of photography including other friends also,so to get going everyday,thanks for being with trendystories and keep us supporting,have a great day
The second shot really has a vintage look. The building looks so different in color. Great post!
Thank you so much. It does look different in color. I did some shots in BW in part because of the lighting. But then I liked the look of them.
I was curious if there were any old photos of it online. I found a blog post with an early photo and some history: https://ronaldscoddington.wordpress.com/2014/04/24/a-civil-war-era-academy/
Oh, that is interesting. Thank you for posting the link.
Reclaimed buildings fascinate me. That last photo, while a bit creepy, is really marvelous.
Thank you, Lois. I agree; it is a bit creepy.
You can’t help but wonder if others will be lost along the way. 🤔
I hesitated to post this because of similar thoughts. I think that remote learning will be more of a “thing” now than it was but I still think that when the coronavirus pandemic ends, students will return to school.
Ooh a perfect shoot for a spooky movie…nice photo. Thankfully our old schools are recycled to private schools or small offices for small, medium enterprises.
It’s great to have them recycled like that.
😊
Nature always wins in the end… unless it’s a covered bridge then they win! hehehe
That’s cause when nature threatens a covered bridge, we just build a new one.
This post of yours made me miss my school days and friends. It’s so sad to see schools being closed for whatever reason.
And all the pictures are so captivating, Chris. 😊
I love old school buildings. They have so many cool features and classic lines. It would be great to see this have another life as something else. Thank you so much for your kind words. Have a great day, Arati. 😊
Yeah, me too. 😊 You have a great day too, Chris.
I hope they can find a use for it – spooky or not! You find and capture the most out of the way things.
Thank you. You drive the back roads, you find all kinds of things.
Love the black and white….so perfect for a Stephen King setting!!
It’s like perfect for The Shining set in a school house – REDRUM!
Perfect!!!!! So true!!
Great and beautiful images Chris dear friend.. Keep giving.
I was clicking on your photo profile.. But clicked on the follow button unintentionally.. Sorry for that.
Oh that’s okay. I click on wrong things all the time. I’m glad you like the images.
There is a plaza with a theater converted from an old school not too far from us. I think it’s a good thing to do.
That’s a great use for an old school.
I’ve seen another great use of an old school house too.
Beautiful shots Chris! I love the black and white and the perspective. Color was a great choice for the back so we can see the green leafy ivy claiming the staircase. Gorgeous images! I hope you’re doing well Chris!
Thank you, Sandra. The choice of BW vs color was partially a function of the light. I had good light on the back but the side and front was only good for BW. Luckily, these shots look good in BW. I hope you’re having a great day. We have Tropical Storm Isiais passing through.
Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize that was moving through your area! I hope you’re safe and as well as can be. Take good care!
Thank you, Sandra. The storm has passed us. It was windy. We stayed safe and never even lost power. I was listeing to the police and fire band for our town and we were fortunate. There were a handful of trees and electrical wires down and one resulted in a house fire. Scary.
I’m so glad you and your wife are well! I read about casualties in the headlines. Take good care!
There is something about vintage monuments that fascinate me. And the shots are so amazing, especially the first one. The sky, the angle with which you took the photo is superb and it all adds up for a perfect horror movie setup. 👍😇
Oh, thank you. Yes, I liked the first shot also for the same reason. I’m also fascinated by these old buildings, especially when they are abandoned. Have a great day.
the bw images look a bit spooky! how come you didn’t go inside? 😀
I would love to have explored inside but I imagine the door was locked. But you know, I never checked to see if it was locked. Possible opportunity missed. 😳
The first pic is so cool and Stephen King would definitely be inspired to write a short story looking at it!
It’s a spooky looking spot.