Read time: 4 min.

I’ve been fascinated by the abandoned building at the corner of Madison Avenue and West 19th Street in Anderson for ages. If I squint, I can see its smokestack as I drive home from work! I hazarded a guess that it was once a school, and it turns out I was right. The former Hazelwood School served students just southwest of downtown for thirty-seven years.

The building that stands today was Anderson’s second Hazelwood School. The first was built on the same site in 1891¹ or 1892² during a period of rapid community growth. It was a striking, three-story structure with six rooms, a complex roofline, arched windows, and a prominent belfry. Unfortunately, it was also the smallest school in the city. Two more classrooms were added in 1897³. 

The original Hazelwood School was showing its age by the 1930s. The situation prompted officials to commission Anderson architect Ernest R. Watkins for a modern replacement. The result was a $155,000 fireproof building with fifteen classrooms and a combined auditorium-gymnasium⁴, all in a modern Art Deco style. Designed to hold over 500 students⁵, the new Hazelwood Elementary opened its doors in January 1940⁶.

Hazelwood was always a classic neighborhood school, the kind many of us take for granted today. By 1976, though, enrollment had dwindled to just 140 students. Along with the nearby Seventh Street and Columbia schools, Hazelwood faced challenges due to its age, location, and changing racial demographics. When the new Morris G. Robinson Elementary School was built on West Eleventh Street, all three of the older schools were closed⁷.

Officials expected the Seventh Street and Columbia schools to be torn down after they closed. Eventually, they were. Hazelwood was a different story: the school board considered repurposing it as the district’s administration offices⁸! That plan never materialized, however, and in 1977, all three buildings were put up for auction⁹.

Since its closure, the old Hazelwood School played several roles. It housed the New Berean Missionary Baptist Church until arson caused extensive interior damage and forced the congregation to move. Later, the building became home to Wilson’s Boys Club, which eventually relocated to the former Westvale Elementary School. In 2017, part of the building’s roof was torn off during a storm¹⁰.

Unfortunately, the old Hazelwood School stands exposed and vulnerable today, facing threats from every side. Vandals have left their mark, the weather continues to wear down its walls, and it’s a frequent target for trespassers with no care for its history. Each year, the building deteriorates a little more. It’s a sad reminder of what was once a vibrant neighborhood school. 

Hazelwood was purchased by an entity called Imran Investments, LLC, this past July¹¹. Still, the building’s future is uncertain. Unfortunately, its decline feels inevitable unless someone steps in to give it new purpose.

Sources Cited
1 Remember When: Hazelwood School (2011, August 6). The Anderson Herald-Bulletin. Web. Retrieved November 5, 2024. 
2 Cook, N. (n.d.). Hazelwood School, Anderson, Ind. Indiana Memory. Indiana State Library [Indianapolis]. Web. Retrieved November 5, 2024. 
3 More Rooms (1897, May 18). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 5. 
4 School Board Plans Building In Hazelwood (1938, August 10). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 1. 
5 Students first entered the new building in January, 1940 (Trustees, 1940).
6 Trustees Inspect Hazelwood School (1940, January 24). The Anderson Herald. p. 1.
7 Staley, C. (1976, November 30). There’s new look to schools with vast changes under way. The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 11. 
8 (See footnote 7). 
9 Kreiter, T. (1977, May 15). The Anderson Herald. p. 1. 
10 De la Bastide, K. (2016, March 4). Fate of former Wilson’s Boys Club in limbo. The Anderson Herald Bulletin. Web. Retrieved November 5, 2024. 
11 Madison County Office of Information & GIS Services. (2021). Parcel ID: 48-11-14-401-030.000-003.