Horace Mann School is an abandoned school in Gary, Indiana. It is named after a school reformer who believed that society could not exist without equal access to public education.
The cornerstone of Horace Mann High School was laid on November 8, 1926, with the construction of the $1 million complex 1 completed in 1928. The facility included a large two-tier auditorium and two-level gymnasium. By 1929, Horace Mann had an enrollment of 870.
Work began on a 5,000-seat outdoor concrete stadium on the north side of the school in April 1930. 2
Owing to the booming United States Steel mill at the front of Gary, the school’s roster jumped to nearly 2,400 students by 1937 and peaked around 2,600 in 1956.
The Gary School Board considered closing Horace Mann in 1975. 4
A new gymnasium was constructed in the 1980s. 4
By 2003, Horace Mann High School had 546 students. On April 13, 2004, the Gary School Board voted to close the school to save money. 3 The last day for students was June 10 while the last day for teachers was June 11. 4
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Sources
- “Hammond Man Falls 3 Stories.” The Times [Munster], 23 Nov. 1927, p. 1.
- “Will Erect a School Stadium.” The Times [Munster], 22 Mar. 1930, p. 1.
- “Gary School Closes.” The Republic [Columbus], 13 Jun. 2004, p. A2.
- Haskell, Ryan. “Where Do We Go Now?” The Times [Munster], 28 May 2004, p. Z1, Z4.
