Wilbur Wright High School is no more

**masterblaster** · November-10-10, 05:37 PM

I drove down Grand River from downtown and I saw this building was being knocked down. With the building being so close to a semi-happening neighborhood like Woodbridge, I thought this building would eventually be re-developed.

**Russix** · November-10-10, 06:07 PM

Captain Hindsight speaking here: They need to put buildings like this up for sale BEFORE they are closed and are stripped to shit. This could have been a Detroit TechShop or micro Russell Industrial Center instead of 2 more vacant arces added to DPS's 25 acres of vacant land west of Woodbridge.

**5speedz34** · November-11-10, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by Russix

Captain Hindsight speaking here: They need to put buildings like this up for sale BEFORE they are closed and are stripped to shit. This could have been a Detroit TechShop or micro Russell Industrial Center instead of 2 more vacant arces added to DPS's 25 acres of vacant land west of Woodbridge.

Captain Hindsight? Is that a South Park reference?!

I totally agree, the school closed in 2005 and when I moved to Woodbridge in 2008 it already a shell. It's unfortunate because I always thought it was a nice building. I hope they kept the "Wilbur Wright School" name plate or whatever you call it that stood over the doorway off of Canfield.

**Zacha341** · November-11-10, 12:37 PM

Sad day -- but it needed to go, before someone got hurt going in there or fire-fighters loss life putting a fire.

I attended Murray-Wright HS in the late seventies when it was a 'combined' school of the Phillip Murray and Wilbur Wright buildings together... M-W was the flag ship "vo-tech" HS before DPS career technical centers like Randolph, Breithaupt, Golightly and other CTC's began in the early 80's.

I recall students going to and from the old Wright building taking courses in auto-service, welding, cosmetology and that like. I'll have to drive by there and see the activity....

Originally Posted by masterblaster

I drove down Grand River from downtown and I saw this building was being knocked down. With the building being so close to a semi-happening neighborhood like Woodbridge, I thought this building would eventually be re-developed.

**Zacha341** · November-11-10, 12:40 PM

Yeah, it was in bad shape the last time I passed thru there... with an open door and window. Sad to see another brown-field coming.

Originally Posted by Russix

Captain Hindsight speaking here: They need to put buildings like this up for sale BEFORE they are closed and are stripped to shit. This could have been a Detroit TechShop or micro Russell Industrial Center instead of 2 more vacant arces added to DPS's 25 acres of vacant land west of Woodbridge.

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-11-10, 12:50 PM

It's not gone yet. Was only about a third or a quarter gone last night. They started on the G.R. Ave. side.

**reddog289** · November-11-10, 04:17 PM

That was a scary looking place toward the end. The exterminator that services our buildings told me it was stripped in no time.My Sep Dad held that school in high regard saying he wished he had went there back in the 30's/40's.

**Historyguy** · November-11-10, 11:06 PM

Does anyone feel sad that this school and building dedicated to one of the pioneers of flight, should be allowed to deteriorate to a ruin?

**reddog289** · November-11-10, 11:17 PM

It is a sad deal that any of the closed schools end up like that.

**CLAUDE G** · November-12-10, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by Russix

Captain Hindsight speaking here: They need to put buildings like this up for sale BEFORE they are closed and are stripped to shit. This could have been a Detroit TechShop or micro Russell Industrial Center instead of 2 more vacant arces added to DPS's 25 acres of vacant land west of Woodbridge.

Your absolutly right!

The second they board up the place and walk away, the scrappers are in there taking out anything of value.

The school system, or who ever owns these places would be better practically giving them away then being faced with paying to demo the building later and being left with a worthless piece of land.

**mauser** · November-12-10, 07:58 AM

Here are photos of the demolition yesterday, including an animation of the power station stack coming down.

http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=4899

Here is a video walk through of Wilbur Wright:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=541X4AxeOi0

And a photo walk through, this was back in December 2006:

http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=516

**mauser** · November-12-10, 08:05 AM

My fatherinlaw and his brother graduated from WR in the mid 60's. I showed him the photos and he keeps asking "why are the machines still in there??". Good question. He listed off what each one was, and what they learned on them all in the various classes.

**Whitehouse** · November-12-10, 05:06 PM

Are those name stones [[or whatever you call them) salvageable? Back in 1984 over here in the southern province of Limburg the last coal mine of the Netherlands was torn down. The name of that mine was "Staatmijn Emma". [[There were four state mines, all were named after royals. There was the Wilhelmina [[named after the queen), Hendrik [[Queen Wilhelmina's husband), Emma [[mother of Wilhelmina), Maurits [[son of William of Orange, a.k.a. William the silent.)).

This was one of the prominent buildings.

On the grounds where the mine once stood, a suburb was build and where the main entrance was, a retirement home was build. Needles to say most of the residents are former miners. The head stones of the building above were given a suitable spot in the front garden.

[[That glass sculpture in the background marks the spot where the main shaft was.)

**laphoque** · November-12-10, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by mauser

My fatherinlaw and his brother graduated from WR in the mid 60's. I showed him the photos and he keeps asking "why are the machines still in there??". Good question. He listed off what each one was, and what they learned on them all in the various classes.

They're very heavy and bolted down. I think one was scrapped but it probably wasn't worth it.

**Cristina** · November-12-10, 08:31 PM

Seems to me I remember DPS selling the building to someone who was supposed to turn it into lofts. Instead the windows were almost immediately removed and the building was stripped, covered in graffitti and left to rot. As someone who lives nearby, I would have loved to see it developed but as it is now I'm glad to see it go.

It used to be the Performing Arts high school before they moved into their new building. It was really cool when the kids would have marching band practice on Canfield.

**Zacha341** · November-13-10, 01:25 AM

What kind of machinery was it?

Originally Posted by laphoque

They're very heavy and bolted down. I think one was scrapped but it probably wasn't worth it.

**mauser** · November-13-10, 08:18 AM

machining machines, for making machines and metal parts. milling machines, lathes, brigeports, huge drill presses - many of those machines could have been reused, and "too heavy" or bolted down is irrelevant. the scrap value 8 years ago alone was worth the price of hiring a crane, a truck, and lifting them out. [[Like Adamo did) detroit schools are always closed with all their contents - like a tomb. books, tools, instruments, records - everything is usually left right where it was the last day of school.

**Zacha341** · November-14-10, 04:35 AM

I drove by there yesterday to take a peek, about a bit over quarter of it is down. I did not realize how large a building it was until now. The wreckers have a big job ahead of them.......

**Zacha341** · November-14-10, 04:38 AM

Thanks for the info... I'd rarely gone down there when I was at MW back in the day. All of my classes were in the newer Phillip Murray building. Yeah, I hear DPS just leaves alot of stuff in these buildings. There are many photos out there that verify that.

Originally Posted by mauser

machining machines, for making machines and metal parts. milling machines, lathes, brigeports, huge drill presses - many of those machines could have been reused, and "too heavy" or bolted down is irrelevant. the scrap value 8 years ago alone was worth the price of hiring a crane, a truck, and lifting them out. [[Like Adamo did) detroit schools are always closed with all their contents - like a tomb. books, tools, instruments, records - everything is usually left right where it was the last day of school.

**DetroitZack** · November-14-10, 05:12 PM

Here are some pictures I took inside WW in September.

**buildingsofdetroit** · November-17-10, 10:35 PM

Demo photo from Sunday:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...01.10183626925

**1953** · September-07-11, 08:25 AM

I read in my Freep today that Justin Verlander is chasing Hal Newhouser's Tiger record for pitching wins straight. Newhouser, according to a couple sources I find online, was a Wilburt Wright high school student when he signed with the Tigers. He would be sad to see his alma matter leveled, me thinks, if he were alive today.

**FEO** · September-07-11, 09:45 AM

If anyone wants any pictures scanned from the 1956, 57 or 58 Wilbur Wright year books let me know .
FEO

**Hypestyles** · September-07-11, 09:55 AM

what vo-tech schools in detroit are still active, and are they of "good quality"?

**firstandten** · September-07-11, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

what vo-tech schools in detroit are still active, and are they of "good quality"?

Randolph [[building trades), Breithaupt [[west side) , Golightly[[east side ).

The vo-tech centers are one of the hidden jewels of DPS, however Mr. Bobb basically ignored them because he was focused more on the comprehensive high schools. Plus I believe there is a move afoot to put the vo-tech programs back into the comprehensive high schools like it was before the vo-tech centers were built.