City/Town: • Pine Bluff |
Location Class: • School |
Built: • 1948 | Abandoned: • 2008 |
Status: • Abandoned |
Photojournalist: • Michael Schwarz |
The Indiana Street School is a part of our series The City Left Behind. Above you will find a trailer for the series. This location can be found in Episode Two The City Left Behind: Disappearing Children of Pine Bluff’s Abandoned Schools. Click here to view the playlists and subscribe to keep up with each episode!
The Indiana Street School has one of the more fascinating facades of the abandoned schools of Pine Bluff. In large letters it says the name and year it was built on the front, and of course its named after the street its on. However, the faculty and staff that inhabited this school upon its opening were actually those from the former Missouri Street School.
The 1901 building of Missouri Street School had become uninhabitable and thus a plot of land was found on Indiana Street to build new on and move. Its first Principal was Waymon T. Cheney, a former teacher who then transitioned into public administration. He served from its opening until 1958 when he moved to Southeast.
The Indiana Street School is one filled with heartwarming stories. Ones that often get overlooked when telling the story of an abandoned building.
During his tenure as Principal of Indiana Street, Earl Nelson was described by students and parents as a fair, thoughtful, considerate, and accommodating leader. But Nelson is just one of many teachers who dedicated much of their time and lives, even if for a brief period to the school and its students.
Another was Jack Bridges, Bridges was somewhat of a notable coach at Pine Bluff High School before being promoted to Director of Physical Education for the PB elementary schools, Indiana being one of them. Bridges would commute to numerous schools a day to give the PE class and then onto the next. In 1977 he left the position to get back to doing what he really loved, coaching basketball at Batesville High School.
A prime example of this was Mrs. Lenora Porter, a third grade teacher at Indiana in the 1990s. She was awarded the Arkansas PTS Outstanding Teacher award for 1990. She was nominated for the award for her work on the Make-It-And-Take-It workshop. Under her leadership, the Indiana School used the workshop to allow parents to get involved in their children’s education. Together parents and teachers designed learning games for the students.
Unfortunately with the decline happening in Pine Bluff, specifically in the children attending schools and families being started, the elementary schools were the first to go. Indiana Street school has been closed since 2008 but as of July 2024 was sold at auction to a new owner. Could this mean a new lease on life?
Gallery Below of Indiana Street School
SOURCES
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Pioneers_Early_African_American_Lead/oKjODwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22indiana+street+school%22+pine+bluff&pg=PT161&printsec=frontcover
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1101463328/?match=1&terms=%22indiana%20street%20school%22%20
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1105277410/?match=1&terms=%22indiana%20street%20school%22%20
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1102439582/?match=1&terms=%22indiana%20street%20school%22%20
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