It's fun to take a trip down memory lane, especially where your old stomping grounds may have been. Chances are, the thousands of students that went through Southwestern Junior High in Battle Creek have mostly fond memories of their time there.

These days, though, those memories seem to be the only remaining bright spot, as the building has fallen into great disrepair. It's almost ghostly to see what's left of the once beautiful building.

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Kurt Thornton, who is with the Battle Creek Regional History Museum recently took a walk through the old building, and took the photos you'll see below. These reflect what shape the building is in today, vs. it's heyday.

"After reading many of the comments (from my facebook post), I am glad people appreciate the beauty of this school building, and they want to save and reuse it... (but) it may be too late for this school building (I still hope not.)"

Thornton received a lot of feedback from community members who wish to refurbish, and reuse the building for something new, but as he said, the building fell under great disrepair, and wasn't given much attention over the years.

Kurt Thornton/Battle Creek Regional History Museum
Kurt Thornton/Battle Creek Regional History Museum
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He does hope, though, there is a future for it, and many other buildings in the Battle Creek area.

"We all need to look around and see if there are other historic and architectural treasures that we will have a chance to save."

Southwestern Junior High is on Washington Street in Battle Creek, and you can see from the photos that there is heavy damage to its interior, including the remnants of a fire in the library, broken backboards in the gym, and decaying curtains and backdrops in the auditorium.

Did you attend Southwestern Junior High in Battle Creek? Do you have any photos or memories from within those walls?

Then/Now - Southwestern Junior High School in Battle Creek

If you were to drive by the school today, you'd think it could reopen any day. But upon further investigation inside, it's clear this building may have seen its last days. Built in 1927, the building has sat empty since about 2009. Multiple fires, vandalism, and improper care have now left it to only hold bright memories where dark hallways and burned books now remain.

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