High School Campus designed by a prominent architect, abandoned in 1928
As difficult as it is to imagine today, at the start of the 20th Century, Milwaukee County was still primarily rural. Milwaukee County established a high school for agricultural and hired the prominent Milwaukee architect, Alexander C. Eschweiler, to design the buildings for the high school campus including an administration building, a dormitory and classrooms. The school opened in 1912.
Sadly, the enrollment never reached projected levels. Even after a growth spurt at the conclusion of the Great War (World War I) by 1928, there was hardly a student population and the school was closed. Only 215 students matriculated from the school in its 16 year history.
The buildings have been more or less abandoned every since. One building was demolished. Snooping around the area is discouraged with No Trespassing signs everywhere, the windows are all boarded up and the doors are bolted. Roads were blocked off - literally - with large blocks that have since been removed but remaining roadways are chained closed.
Several plans for development of the area have been tossed about, but none have ever come to fruition.
In 2010, the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee announced plans to develop the campus into an innovation park. A new road has been constructed across the area. ABB has constructed a large facility on the campus while the Eschweiler buildings remain, as of this writing, untouched.