The Story Behind This Abandoned Louisiana School Will Make You Nostalgic
By Jackie Ann|Published May 27, 2017
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Jackie Ann
Author
Louisiana native and LSU Alum (Geaux Tigers!), Jackie has lived in Louisiana for over three decades and currently lives in New Orleans. She's been writing for OnlyInYourState since 2016 and can often be found with a coffee at her side, dreaming of her next adventure.
Abandoned places have always fascinated me. Their history struggling to be told while slowly deteriorating and being reclaimed by mother nature, soon to be forgotten altogether. There’s one place in the Kisatchie National Forest with a history that’s more than a century old, but many people don’t know about it. You may have driven past it, not even giving it a second thought but the Kisatchie High School taught kids for more than 50 years, before closing down in the 1960s. Let’s take a look at the history of this fascinating school, and what it looks like today.
In the middle of the Kisatchie National Forest, there's a little piece of history that only a few people remember.
The first Kisatchie Union School, which was established in 1848. Kisatchie School, which was established in 1862, and Shilo School, which was a private school and was established in 1890.
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In 1912 all three of these schools consolidated to form one bigger school.
The community rallied together, helping build the school themselves. Everyone pitched in. Men, women, and children all worked together, making bricks, cutting lumber, and clearing land.
By 1922, the building was completed and that is the building that stands today.
Remember, the community who helped build this building weren’t exactly skilled construction workers. The handmade bricks had begun to deteriorate and threaten the foundation, so professionals came in and placed a stucco siding to reinforce the exterior. Their plan worked, because the building still stands today.
By the 1960s the school population had shrunk considerably.
For over 50 years, the building has been abandoned, slowly being reclaimed by mother nature.
You can find the Kisatchie High School as 1804 Parish Road, Provencal, LA 71468 (close to the La. Hwy. 118 & 117 intersection). It’s not the best idea to go inside, but definitely worth a drive by!
Do you remember this high school, or know someone who went there? Let us know in the comments below!
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