Last Friday, a friend and I visited Sleighton Farm School. The stone buildings on this property were constructed in 1826, and (although abandoned now) are absolutely beautiful. During it’s time, Sleighton served as a reform school for girls. However, I think at some point it housed boys as well, because we found evidence of such. In doing an internet search, you can find hundreds of stories about this place, and the mysteries it holds. This school was left in the hands of mother nature back in 2001 when financial issues arose. The property covers over 300 acres and is slowly falling victim to decay, overgrown weeds, and corrosion. Despite it’s disheveled appearance, Sleighton is still a truly amazing site. We were able to explore inside of one of the buildings. There was a fall out shelter in the basement with giant (empty) water cans. Upstairs we examined many of the rooms which housed “inmates”. I wouldn’t necessarily refer to the Sleighton students as such, but a few online sources have used that word. The rooms were small and contained a bed, a 4-drawer dresser, a clothes rack, and a mirror screwed into the wall. We also saw the showers/restrooms that were used during that time. Strangely enough, the storage closets were still packed with supplies (pillows, a used bar of soap (gross, I know), books, an artificial Christmas tree etc.) I was shocked when we visited a few of the offices and found complete files on students that attended there, including notes, letters, report cards, drug tests, court documents, and anything else you would expect to find in someone’s personal file. The offices were still filled with supplies, books, paperwork, and electronics. It’s almost as if the people who resided at Sleighton just got up and left. A few other things we saw include a lounge area (with a ping pong table!), a laundry room, a living area with a fireplace, and a cafeteria. This place was incredible! The best part of our exploration was letting our imaginations wander. I took over a hundred photos, but here are a few of my favorites.
P.s. If anyone has any stories about Sleighton Farm School, feel free to share! I am extremely interested in learning about the past this place holds.
ATTENTION: there is now a part 2, which contains more photos from my visit to Sleighton! Check it out >>here<<
