Abandoned JW Cooper School Photo Trek-SOLD OUT!
The J.W. Cooper school, located in the coal mining town of Shenandoah, PA, was built in 1918. In the 1920s and 1930s, Shenandoah had a population of approximately 30,000 residents. Before opening as the Shenandoah High School, it was commandeered during the Spanish flu epidemic and used as a temporary hospital and morgue, since the local hospital was overrun by the large number of victims. In May of 1919, the building was dedicated as the “new Shenandoah High School. It was later renamed the J.W. Cooper High School after the School’s first principal. The school later became an elementary school prior to its closing in 1994. There have been several owners since that time, with little work happening to restore the structure. In the late 2000s, a local business owner stepped in to try to save this historic building that was once the home to tens of thousands of students. The new owner immediately got to work removing tons of trash and making the structure safe to enter. His goal is to use the building as a mixed use facility for local businesses, and revive the theatre to once again hold performances. A portion of the registration fee will go towards helping in the restoration effort.
The Cooper school is currently in a state of arrested decay. The gymnasium, with hoops and basketballs and old wooden floor is a neat place to photograph, as are the many school rooms with memorabilia scattered about. The decaying pool area is an interesting place to explore and photograph, as are the many side rooms that contain theatre props, desks, books and more. The auditorium is by far the coolest place to creatively explore, with the stage and most of the seats still in tact. The room takes on an eerie green glow from the light bouncing about from the unlit ceiling and walls. There is also a balcony to give even more opportunities for a truly unique abandoned photography adventure.
The school has 4 floors and is not handicap accessible. You will be wandering through areas covered in various states of dirt and debris. Caution will need to be taken as you explore. We will have 4 hours to wander the property. A brief tour will be given at the start, which will also detail any areas that may be unsafe or off limits. Participants must adhere to any and all instructions given by the owner.
This will be a 3 part workshop. Part one will be an informational Zoom class on either October 5th. The trek itself will run from 10am-2pm. Following will be an hour long editing class held via Zoom. More details will be given through email a few weeks prior to the event.
A minimum number of participants is needed to run this event. If for some reason we would need to cancel, money will be put towards a future event.
Transportation to JW Cooper School is not included. We will meet at the school.
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Updated Terms & Conditions – Valerie A Hoffman Photography (March 2023)
As we live in our new ‘normal’, the following updated policies are being put in place to protect the health and wellbeing of all workshop attendees, as well as those who we will come in contact with during events.
That being said, here is what you need to know and comply with:
- Anyone who is sick with COVID like symptoms or has a fever over 100 degrees must not attend the event. Amount paid may be put towards a future workshop, or can be refunded in full if notice is given in advance. Suggest checking your temperature BEFORE leaving home. By registering for an event, you also agree to a touchless temperature check at the initial gathering for any workshop or trek.
- Face Masks are optional unless otherwise specified.
Cancellation Policy:
Two (2) weeks notice is required to receive a full refund. 75% refund of the Trek fee with only one (1) week notice. NO refund will be given if less than one (1) week notice is given for cancellation. Must call to cancel. We reserve the right to cancel the Trek at our discretion. Minimum number of participants is necessary to run event.