Cass Tech High School (old) - Photos gallery Historic Detroit Cass Tech High School (old) - Photos Cass Tech High School (old) The massive machinery that drove Cass Tech's elevators. Jumping out the windows to get out of the classrooms, since it wasnt that far down. OC hosted a roundtable discussion about industry and workforce ready graduates. Extraordinary photos combine teenage life from a bygone era with Patrick Krupa (www.patrickrupa.com) for HistoricDetroit.org. Winner will be selected at random on 06/01/2023. The Bishops Mansion, Detroits largest residence, sells for $2.7M. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Remembering Cass Technical High School - Legacy.com And, in the words of the former principal George Cohen, nostalgia doesnt fix the cracks.. Photos of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan, whose alumni include Diana Ross and Jack White School moved to new building in 2005 which left original facility empty and it. In 2017, the building suffered severe damage from a fire in its auditorium. Classrooms were left full of desks when the school district abandoned the landmark. Architecturally, I thought it was beautiful. SIGN IN. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. [citation needed] In 2010, the CTMB participated in Norfolk State University's Homecoming and won first place in the McDonald's Battle of the Bands. [citation needed] He was the first African-American to receive the title of the "world's fastest human" after winning gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters events at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Redford High, before it was demolished. It is named after Lewis Cass. Today theres a Meijer grocery store on the site. Wow my high school is gone, they tore it down. Tomlin started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing Off-Broadway. Check out photos of the building at Detroiturbex.com. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). The first class graduated in 1910 with only six or seven students, but by 1909 enrollment jumped to 700 students and a new wing was added to the Cass Union School to accommodate the increased enrollment. When Detroits Cass Technical High School was closed in 2005 in order to move to a new building next door, the city was scheduled to lose one of its unofficial landmarks. Richard L. LaVoie 06/10/1944 - 03/21/2023 Richard L. LaVoie was born in 1944 in Detroit, MI to parents, Harold and Stella LaVoie. Though Detroit Urbexs Cass Tech series failed to stop the schools demolition, it remains an important testimony of what the school used to be. Video Center. The loss of these schools can be felt in many ways: increased transit times for students commuting to schools farther away, absence of a neighborhood anchor, presence of a large abandoned building near homes. Students work on engines in a Cass Tech shop class. The Cass Tech Technicians football team (also referred to as the Technicians) is a high school football program in Division 1 Public School League, representing Cass Technical High School. Cass Technical High School Alumni, Class Reunions, Yearbooks, Technicians Classmates, and more! You would ride the bus to school arm to arm sitting on each other back, then wait in all these lines to get in the school. RM JJJGNY - Benneckenstein, Germany. Group, a Graham Holdings Company. [1], Of the students attending Cass Technical High School in 202122, 1,832 (76.2%) of them are Black, 277 (11.5%) are Hispanic, 223 (9.3%) are Hispanic, 57 (2,4%) are White, 6 (0.2%) are American Indian or Alaska Native, and 9 (0.4%) are multi-racial. It was huge: eight stories with an elevator that been around for decades. Photo from the Walter P. Reuther Library. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. The rest of the story is familiar; mid-century found Detroit in full swing as Motor City USA, a modern metropolis, a shining light for the future of the midwest. View all items related to Cass Technical High School, 2023 Detroit Historical Society. In March 2000, Detroit Public Schools announced plans to build an entirely new building directly north of Cass Tech. I was amazed at the school. Share your memories by posting photos or stories, or find out about your next class reunion! The ruins of a similar first-wave industrial complex. Population and industry in Detroit has declined remarkably in recent years. (source), Opened to the public in 1915, the Detroit Athletic Club remains among the most elegant private clubs in the United States, thanks to constant maintenance and care from its members. All rights reserved. [6][30][31] At the time of demolition, the school building was approximately 830,000 square feet (77,000m2) and weighed more than 100,000 short tons (91,000t). This directory is not just composed of graduates of this school, as some of the famous people on this list didn't necessarily earn a degree from Cass Technical High School. Cooley High School was built for a growing Detroit population in Detroits northwest side. The original building was designed Burrowes & Eurich, but there were multiple additions over the subsequent decades. Somehow this midcentury gem is still on the market. (source), In the foreground, the desintegrating old Cass Tech High School that is often featured in media reports on Detroit, eclipsing the snazzy new Cass Tech located immediately next door. In the words of the inimitableLL Cool J: Dont call it a comeback. The Slate Group LLC. The Triangle Society is committed to maintaining that legacy by providing financial support to Clubs, organizations, athletic and academic programs at Cass. It remains lovingly cared-for, murals included. The venerable Second Avenue facade of Cass Tech High School. The derelict cornerstones of the same city hall lie cast aside. Cass Tech High School (old) - Old photos gallery - Pinterest Like all stories told about a place by outsiders, those on the inside see things quite differently. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. The Detroit Boat Club, located on Belle Isle, was the first poured concrete building ever erected. The area was like, Did our parents really love us? There were drug dealers, hookersit was skid row. The brick and limestone Gothic building was large: eight stories fitting 4,400 students and 50 classrooms. RM 2HTHMAD - 1970's photograph of children queuing with baggage luggage for school coach trip, Sweden. [12], Cass offers over twenty advanced placement courses including language composition, history, chemistry, calculus, and physics. The original Cass Technical High School was built in 1922, and for over 80 years, the drab, antiquated eight-story structure was full of thousands of secondary school students.. CASSmates SPECIAL EDITION T-Shirt. The police never bothered us. To get a sense of what it was like to go to some of these closed or demolished schools, we spoke with alumni who attended three of them. [20], The concert band program rose to prominence under the direction of Harry Begian, who led the Cass Tech bands from 1947 through 1964. Cass Technical High School | Detroit Historical Society 1 of 21 Detroiturbex Abandoned Detroit School Given Life Through Photos (source), The remnants of a beauty parlor. It would have cost around $60.8 million to build today. [16] In 2021, U.S. News ranked Cass Tech 84th among Michigan high schools, and reported a 62.9% percentile score on the SAT. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. We had hoped to provoke substantive discussion about the school, its past, and its future., Dismantling Cass Tech was a controversial decision. Explore and purchase photos of your local teams. In Detroit, A Fight Over Iconic School's Future | WBEZ Chicago Many locally and nationally known figures are counted among its graduates including Diana Ross, John DeLorean, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Anderson (aka Big Sean), Lily Tomlin, Peter Karmanos, and David Alan Grier. Its just not that clear-cut. In loving memory ..Detroit Redford High School, Revisit these 5 Curbed Detroit stories that have nothing to do with coronavirus. Between the move and the time when the building was torn down, the once majestic building was left to decay. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. In his full career as a sprinter, Tolan won 300 races and lost only 7. An aerial view of Cass Tech on April 17, 2009. Ellen Burstyn (born Edna Rae Gillooly; December 7, 1932) is an American actress best known for her roles in films of the 1970s, such as The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist, and Alice Doesn't Live .more #29 of 77 The Best Actresses to Ever Win Oscars for Best Actress #7 of 100 The Best Living Actresses Over 80 #47 of 76 The Best Oscar Hosts Ever [15] However, in 2019, Cass Tech was not among the 78 Michigan high schools with the highest average SAT scores. Photo from the Walter P. Reuther Library. After years of abandonment, the decay of Cass Technical High School has reached the point where familiar parts of the building are no longer recognizable. Old Cass Tech and Michigan Central Station. Cass Union Schools president, Benjamin F. Comfort, suggested that fewer students would drop out if they were given vocational training that they could use in Detroits growing factories. 2501 Second Ave. Detroit, MI 48201-2601. Watch. Though I took two to three buses to get to school every day, my experience was great. Although my parents didnt attend, they understood about it being a college prep and pushed me to go. Cass Tech High School (old) - Old photos | Cass tech, Detroit history [7] The 1922 building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March 2011. Over 90% of the material in the building was recycled for other uses or as backfill. Visit nh.gov for a list of free . Photo Essay: Senior year in the age of COVID - Chalkbeat Detroit The building is there but its dilapidated, its burned down. The original swimming pool, which was closed after the addition was added in the 1980s. From stand out skyscrapers to incredible lobbies, heres your guide to the seeing as much of the best downtown architecture possible. Cass students in one of the school's gyms. I remember the auditorium with graduation ceremonies, plays, and music functions. All contents Despite the demolition of the old building, Cass Tech lives on in a new building. Students are required to choose a curriculum pathroughly equivalent to a college "major" in the ninth grade. One of the most photographed landmarks in Detroit is a monument to the labor movement in Michigan. Everythingsonsaletoday As a building on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, the original structure was left in place, however a large fire gutted it in 2007. Its like a ghost town, right in the middle of what used to be life. [7] The alumni association announced plans in April 2007 to renovate it as a multi-use center including arts spaces, retail, and residences,[6] but in July 2007 a fire damaged the 1922 section. School photo 70s hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy I have gone back recently and man. A 1,000-seat auditorium was added in 1930. And when you would go outside to the back, there was the baseball field, basketball courts. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Melded together, the kaleidoscopic photos of Detroit reveal a true ghost town. Detroits nighttime skyline as viewed from Windsor. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. [3] It was established in 1907 and is part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Then-and-Now Photos of Abandoned Detroit School | Bored Panda This page is not available in other languages. Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer and producer. The group sifted through old photographs of the school's peak years, finding images of the vibrant community that occupied the classrooms throughout the 20th century. Don't Call It a Comeback: Detroit's History in Photos. Detroit, MI. Media outlets have labeled the once thriving Motor City "a ghost town. In 2005 the main building was abandoned with the remaining students occupying an adjacent addition. Pinterest. Detroits copper and brass rolling mills. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. I attended because I had a first cousin who also graduated from Cass. In 2007, a large fire broke out in the old Cass Tech building and it was finally demolished in 2011. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Ross rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, The Greatest Actresses Who Have Never Won an Oscar (for Acting), The Funniest Female Comedians of All Time, The Greatest Singers of the Past 30 Years. He set world records in the 100-yard dash and 100 meters event and Olympic records in the 100 meters and 200 meters events. It was like a college in high school. Photo from 1910-1920. . Photo taken by Raygirl. . Photo from the Detroit Free Press archives. All Rights Reserved. Collect, curate and comment on your files. They may have planned to take everything when the school was going to be demolished, added Duce, but after the demolition got pushed back months, and then years, the items left behind lost all value and werent worth salvaging.. The Main Building of the Detroit Public Library as it appears today. McCollum, Brian (September 2003). In addition to a specialized curriculum, Cass Tech offers college pathway courses in arts and communication, business management, marketing and technology, engineering, manufacturing and technology, health sciences, natural resources and agriscience, and human services. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The city was splendid before the advent of the automobile, and later set an example for the nation (if not the world) on how to stoke an economic and social boom. Cass Tech was abandoned by the school districts with tons of school supplies, computers, musical instruments and more left behind. In Brooklyn, New York City circa 1977. As a result schools and homes which were quickly built to support a growing industry in the 20s and 30s have since been abandoned, subject to arson or demolished. Abandoned Detroit School Given Life Through Photos Lewis Cass Technical High School, demolished in 2011, was one of Detroit's largest high schools. It played a pivotal role in our trajectory. Students work in the Cass Tech foundry about 1940. Of course, nostalgia makes you think mine was better, but the children of today need a beautiful school with windows and air conditioners that have all the modern features that a school in Birmingham or Grosse Pointe has. Crumbling Houses Show the Sad Decline of Detroit. Even so, we loved it. Cass Tech High School (old) - Demolition photos gallery Historic Detroit R Rod kurowski 8 followers More information Cass Tech High School (old) - Demolition photos gallery Historic Detroit City Skyline Casino Hotel Wrecking Ball Demolition Photo Galleries High School Tech High School Tech More information . Caria leaned on organizations such as . Prominent graduates from Cass Technical High School include celebrities, politicians, business people, athletes and more. It is here is where we pick up the modern narrative of Detroit, the Roger and Me story of a city abandoned by its industry, and collapsing into a pile of rubblebut look again. In addition to being one of Detroits highest performing schools, Cass Tech was also a historical landmark with an illustrious list of famous alumni like Alice Coltrane, Diana Ross, David Alan Grier, and Big Sean to name a few. (source). Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? History of Cass Tech High school from its founding to the present day. (source). Cass Tech High School . In the Cass Tech project, images Duce took of the destroyed school were layered with photos from the 1980s and 1990s that came from a box of negatives found in the old yearbook room. In 2017, when I came back, a piece of me died inside. Named in honor of Lewis Cass, the school was located on the top floor of the old Cass Union School, a three-story brick building built in 1861 on a farm donated by Lewis Cass. Taken between 1900 and 1920, this photo shows the reading room in the Detroit Public Library. Cass Tech was a proud educational landmark in downtown Detroit. CORRECTION: A previous version incorrectly stated that the Cass Tech building was demolished as a result of a fire in 2007. I was never fearful going to school because all of them respected Cass Tech as place of higher learning and knew that us kids came from miles away in the dark to go to school each day. Celebrate the year you became a full-fledge Cass Technical High School CASSmate! Demolition began in December 2010 and was completed in August 2011. A fire swept through its floors in 2007, devastating abandoned rooms once filled with life. In July 1942, the top of Detroits city hall was dwarfed by the more modern Penobscot Building in the background. Richard L. LaVoie. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. The largest residence in Wayne County is now the most expensive sale in Detroit this year. We regret the error. The classrooms were left full of desks and other supplies when the district abandoned the building. Patrick Krupa (www.patrickrupa.com) for HistoricDetroit.org The cafeteria in the 1980s addition Mark Hall for HistoricDetroit.org A Legacy of Place: Cass Tech High School TELL Legacy Beautifully Mashed-Up Photos Show The Glory And Wreckage Of Detroit As a child, he proved himself an apt learner . [25], A new campus opened in May 2005 in an adjacent lot on Grand River Avenue to the north of the original building. Cass Tech High School (old) Students work on engines in a Cass Tech shop class. Cass Tech High School (old) - Photos gallery Historic Detroit I also played tennis. Back then, the Cass Corridor had a lot of homeless peopleyou would step over them just get to school. Due to budget cuts, student population shifts, and building deterioration, around 200 public schools have closed in Detroit since 2000. They had a lawn area and we use to gather around over there. Student Life. These plans were met with resistance, as many alumni felt the original building would be emotionally difficult to demolish. Ground was broken in 2002, and a ribbon cutting took place three years later in 2005, though the old building was not demolished. When it was announced that the school would close following the 2006-2007 school year, there were a little over 1,000. But slowly, the world caught up and Detroits city of tomorrow became more and more a relic of the past. 163 Cass Technical High School Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images In the foreground, the desintegrating old Cass Tech High School that is often featured in media reports on Detroit, eclipsing the snazzy new Cass Tech located immediately . What doesnt appear in the images, however, is how the old Cass Tech, with its classic and imposing architecture, made high-schoolers feel like they belonged to something great. In high school, she was on the swim team, Y-Teens, and a hall guard. Cass Tech Photos Of An Abandoned Detroit School (PHOTOS) In 1950 Detroit was the city of tomorrow. [4], Until 1977, Cass was Detroit's only magnet school and the only non-neighborhood enrollment school in Detroit. First built to serve Redford Township, the city later annexed this region and integrated it with the Detroit Public Schools system. Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a magnet high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Utilizing images of the school in its heyday transposed over photos of the neglected building, Detroiturbex succeeds in evoking a state of Detroit's decline. Cass Tech Apparel - Cass Tech Shop Scroll through the images below and let us know what you think of Detroiturbex's project in the comments section. Photo by Dan Austin of HistoricDetroit.org. Built in a style of gothic construction at the beginning of the 20th century, Cass Tech was a symbol of success for one of Detroits only magnet schools; it was demolished in 2011. Its just sad to see. [6] In 1985, an addition on the south side was opened, designed by Albert Kahn & Associates, which included performing arts facilities, a new pool, and a student cafeteria, and a wing of the building was remodeled for computer and business classes. The school brought us a sense of community, because everyones got problems but school was the outlet. A victim of globalization, corporate greed, and the collapseof the industrial belt, Detroit was in rough shape by the 1970s. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. In 2005 the main building was abandoned with the remaining students occupying an adjacent addition. Everything from Diana Ross to Lily Tomlin is included on this list. In the Spring of 2006 the new Cass Tech High School, being built next door (out of view to the right side of this photograph) opened its doors. 1900-1915. She graduated in Home Economics with the January class of 1962 from Cass Technical High School in Detriot, Michigan. Heres what they had to say. Detroit Urbex: Using photomontage to compare the history of Cass Tech The operator of the tank driving school in the East German . (source). Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "casstechnicalhighschool" Flickr tag. [6][7], The former building, including the extension, was left vacant (with classroom fittings and supplies inside). At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the automobile hadnt been invented. Cass Technical High School - Wikipedia Technicians. Pictured here in 1905. The fight over an iconic high school may be coming to a head in Detroit: Cass Technical High School was closed six years ago after a new school was built next door, but the old. Opened in 1907, the original Cass Technical High School, commonly referred to as Cass Tech, was located at 2501 Second Avenue in Detroit. It also occupied an opulent building designed by renowned local firm Donaldson & Meier in the Mediterranean Revival-style. Detroiturbex is attempting to bring attention to these ghostly remains through a photo project highlighting the city's abandoned buildings. Under his baton, the concert band performed twice at the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic, and played literature at a level far beyond that normally performed by a public high school band[according to whom? It was established in 1907 and is part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District.It is named after Lewis Cass.. Until 1977, Cass was Detroit's only magnet school and the only non-neighborhood enrollment school in Detroit. Detroiturbex.com - Cass Technical High School: Now and Then I remember us hanging out at the police station across the street from school. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Luckily it was not only a place of tranquility and learning, but a safe zone. Architecture. Explore. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. It was an area that was like an island unto itself. Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a magnet high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Cass Tech. Yet there sat Detroit, perfectly situated as a trading point of goods from the first wave of the Industrial Revolution. [citation needed] In 2013 CTMB went to the 2013 inauguration for President Barack Obama. In the Cass Tech project, images Duce took of the destroyed school were layered with photos from the 1980s and 1990s that came from a box of negatives found in the old yearbook room. CTE Programs in New Hampshire | Department of Education We lived about four miles from the school and took the Grand River bus. User Options. Several years after the original Cass Tech High School in downtown Detroit was abandoned, a local photographer sifting through the ruins found decades of the school . [19], There are beginner, intermediate, advanced and jazz band classes, as well as a marching band. When you went through the second set of double doors, the school opened into many different hallways. All rights reserved. Odessa Career & Technical Early College High School ECISD Home. Anne Church in Southwest Detroit a basilica. These images were then combined with more recent snapshots of the school's ruinous last years, revealing the empty halls and untouched equipment that were left to decay. Caria Taylor, a member of Cass Tech High School's Class of 2021, used the isolation of COVID as an opportunity to develop her hobbies: reading, writing, and photography. See top plays & highlights of the best high school sports. Detroiturbex.com is a website and photo project which documents a changing Detroit. By 2000 over a million people had moved elsewhere, leaving the city up to 60% vacant by some estimates. Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer, actress, and record producer. The Cass Tech auditorium in 1930. ], including the Symphony in B-flat by Paul Hindemith and La Fiesta Mexicana by H. Owen Reed. Detroits 10 best social media accounts for architecture and homes, Locations in Detroit with ties to Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton, Pope designates Ste. I got along with everyone. Even if your parents were dogging you, you had your friends at school that you could hang out with and would always look out for each other. List of famous alumni from Cass Technical High School, with photos when available. Cass Tech stands behind it. It was designed by Malcolmson & Higginbotham with additional architectural support from Albert Kahn. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. First, they photographed every room the old Detroit school, which was abandoned after a 2007 fire. The specter of Michigan Central Station has become emblematic of the dichotomy between Detroits past and present state. The swimming pool in the 1980s addition was supposed to be Olympic-size - but contractors used English measurement instead of metric.