John B. Gordon Elementary

Next up is a school in East Atlanta, built in the early years of the 1909. This elementary school contained roughly 25 classrooms and a large gym and stage.

It made it almost 100 years, falling just short after closing in 1995. The school was named after one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted generals, John Brown Gordon.

Gordon lived from 1832-1904. "A native of Upson County, Georgia, and a Major General, Confederate States Army, was one of General Lee's most trusted and outstanding officers. He brilliantly led his devoted men in every engagement in which the army of Northern Virginia participated and was severely wounded at the Battle of Sharpsburg. He led the War's last charge and following the Appomattox surrender, returned to Georgia. Idolized by the populace, he served his state three times as U.S. Senator and as Governor 1886-1890. He was Commander-in-Chief of the United Confederate Veterans from its inception until his death- a fitting tribute to a gallant gentleman."
-Historical plaque at Oakland Cemetery placed by the Alfred Holt Colquitt Chapter, U.D.C.

Gordon Elementary flourished in the 1950s, with many posting online concerning their fond memories of running across the street to buy a soda pop. Unfortunately the school began to decline as Atlanta grew, and has been vacant ever since it closed. The shell of the school still stands, more or less to this day.

There has been talk of using the land to build apartments, as recently as 2013, but no progress has been made. The elementary school caught fire in early 2014, and the newest section of the building was destroyed. As of, November 2014, there was a massive cleanup of the school, and in early 2015 demolition started. Gordon Elementary was a beautiful brick building that will be missed.

Until Next Time, -Turtl and Bloody

Out of City Post: Charity

This post is going to deviate a bit in that it's not in Atlanta, however, when I got to see this beautiful building, I knew I had to post about it. I have not omitted the hospital's real name, as it's no secret. With a documentary recently made, as well as a group created to attempt to save the hospital. It may be best for Charity's story to get all the exposure it can. The security is tough, and the building is partially active; it's not worth trying to get in.

"Charity Hospital was founded in 1732 when Jean Louis, a French seaman and merchant who made New Orleans his home in the New World, died, leaving his entire estate to “establish and maintain a hospital for the poor people of New Orleans.”

Looking down the stairway on the 19th floor

By the time the Civil War began in 1860, Charity was one of the largest hospitals in the world, able to accommodate 1,000 patients at a time. The hospital remained open during the war, caring for soldier from both armies.

Samples preserved in formalin

Charity Hospital has been such a fact of life in its present location for so long, that today New Orleanians often think it has always been there and always been the same. But in fact the hospital has been located in six different main buildings if four different locations during its 260+ years.

By the early 1930s, the old facility was crowded and out of date. Louisiana’s populist Governor Huey P. Long made it a priority of his administration to build a fine, new hospital facility that would equal or better any other in the country.

One of the many hallways with power

When the present building ... was completed in 1939, the total bed capacity was 3,330, making Charity the second largest hospital in the United States. It is also one of only a handful that serves the education and research needs of two medical schools." 

- Excerpt from a pamphlet detailing the hospital's history and facilities

Each floor was a different color. This was the red floor.

Hurricane Katrina hit the hospital in 2005, but only affected the main floor and basement. Many employees of the hospital stayed through the storm to tend to patients, even after the power failed. Subsequently, the hospital was closed due to the water damage.

Samples to be disposed of

 It was then scrubbed by a team of 150 military and healthcare professionals to bring the building up to medical standards, but right before the building was ready to open, Governor Blanco stopped it.

Forgotten brain images

 Instead, a new hospital was built and Charity was abandoned. Today Charity sits locked, but not abandoned. The power is on, huge fans run on most floors to combat water damage. 24 hour security stays onsite amidst countless cameras, next to a sign that warns of K-9 patrols within the building. Inside, everything is just as it was left.

A table of microscopes outside of a lab

Bodies were cleared, but medical records remain. The people of New Orleans have fought back to save the building, however there are currently no future plans for Charity.

Until next time! -Turtl & Bloody

Battery Factory

The Battery Factory began in 1900 manufacturing lead-acid industrial & automotive batteries, with its headquarters in Georgia. This Atlanta branch operated from 1948-1988, but the factory’s pollution has outlived its production. The soil surrounding the area is contaminated with lead, making it a costly clean up site, estimated around or under $3 million by an EPA official.

The Battery company is on the hook to clean up the site, according to their 2003 agreement with the EPA, however the company has declared bankruptcy, making the situation complicated.

The 12 acre property was purchased by a private company in 2006, who proposed a mixed use development that was okay-ed by the neighborhoods; however no progress has been made.

 Due to the property's ideal location, right off the beltline, the city of Atlanta has grown frustrated with the property owners, suing them for code violations, though the owners claim they can't even afford to board it up properly. In recent years, the building has found new life through the graffiti and street artists of Atlanta, who add to the ever changing art outside and inside the building.

The fate of the property is uncertain, though it is an ideal site to add to the beltline's property. As of summer 2014, the property was re-boarded, the broken gate fixed, and the yard maintained by a crew.


Until next time!
-Turtl & Bloody