March 17, 2016

Transitions: Lost—Fairmount High School

  • By: Lauren Walser

In each Transitions section of Preservation magazine, we highlight places of local and national importance that have recently been restored, are currently threatened, have been saved from demolition or neglect, or have been lost. Here's an updated one from Spring 2015.

Before he made his silver-screen debut, James Dean got an early taste of acting at Fairmount High School in Fairmount, Indiana. As a member of the class of 1949, he performed in plays such as Mooncalf Mugford and Gone with the Wind. The three-story brick-and-limestone school, opened in 1902, deteriorated over the years, and finally closed in 1986. Various fundraising efforts to restore the building were unsuccessful, and safety concerns were heightened after a corner of the school and a section of its roof collapsed in the summer of 2013. Demolition began in November 2014. Some of the high school's contents, including its stage and bricks, were salvaged.

Fairmount High School, prior to demolition

photo by: Ross Griff/Flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Demolition of Fairmount High School began in November 2014.

Lauren Walser headshot

Lauren Walser served as the Los Angeles-based field editor of Preservation magazine. She enjoys writing and thinking about art, architecture, and public space, and hopes to one day restore her very own Arts and Crafts-style bungalow.

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