Urbexers Captured Unsettling Footage Of A Crumbling School, Leaving Locals Up In Arms

According to YouTubers Dark Exploration Films, the setting for this adventure was once a religious school for girls, abandoned many decades ago. Since the publication of their video, though, many have come forward to dismiss these claims. And now, the neighborhood is in an uproar over the treatment of a beloved building.

So what exactly is the story behind this eerie, haunting property? And why has a seemingly innocent adventure kickstarted an intense local drama? For Dark Exploration Films, the building meant little more than views on their YouTube channel — but for the residents of Garden City, NY, it is so much more.

In a video uploaded to YouTube on December 14, 2018, two adventurers from Dark Exploration Films can be seen inside a vast abandoned building. As they pass through its hallways, they reveal a once-grand interior beset with decay, along with all manner of haunting relics that send shivers down the spine.

In a voiceover, the narrator, known as Devin, recounts the alleged history of this building, now just a shadow of its former self. He says, “Today we’re inside an old 1850s all-girls religious academy. This place was abandoned almost 50 years ago, around the 1960s, and the history in these walls is absolutely ridiculous.”

Exploring a cavernous space that once served as a chapel, Devin adds, “I gotta tell you right now it’s just crazy. This is a time when our grandparents went to school and if you didn’t behave you got hit. It’s a completely different era.” Throughout the video, in fact, he seems convinced that something sinister once unfolded within these rotting walls.

Later, in the basement of the building, the explorers encounter an endless hallway equipped with individual, cell-like spaces, each lockable from the outside. Shocked, Devin exclaims, “This is where they could have put the bad kids.” Then, as if on cue, his equipment begins to malfunction. Could the building’s restless spirits be responsible?

“In the next clip I suffered several camera malfunctions that never occur with my camera,” Devin explains in a written caption, “I’m not one to jump ship with paranormal stuff, but this is quite the coincidence considering [that we were] in the basement, where they did lock disobedient children up.”

Certainly, electrical disturbances such as camera errors and battery issues have been associated with paranormal phenomena in the past. But why is Devin so certain that children were locked up in the basement, without any evidence to support this theory? As it turns out, this is not the only time the explorer jumps to conclusions.

In one room, Devin encounters identical pieces of clothing arranged on hangers and stashed in a forgotten cupboard. Speaking to the camera, he refers to them as “nightgowns” for children. But in the comments section, several have pointed out that the garments are actually altar robes typically worn by boys.

In fact, many of Devin’s claims about the property have turned out to be inaccurate or just plain wrong. For starters, the property was never an all-girls religious institution. Instead, it has been identified as St. Paul’s School, a British-inspired preparatory academy in Garden City, New York, that was actually all-male.

Founded in 1869 by Alexander Turney Stewart, Garden City was conceived as an elegant, upscale community from the very beginning, equipped with lavish public buildings and homes. And when the millionaire passed away in 1876, his widow Cornelia began planning an appropriate monument in the form of St. Paul’s School.

Eventually, the facility opened in the 1880s — three full decades after the date given by Dark Exploration Films. Owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, the school was associated with the Anglican faith and began as a military academy. But ten years later, it shifted its focus towards the academic world.

As a preparatory academy, St. Paul’s took its cues from schools on the other side of the pond, instructing students in subjects such as Latin and Greek. And over the years, it played host to a number of boys who would go on to notable careers. One, William Bradford Turner, received the Medal of Honor during World War I, while Fred Trump, brother of the former U.S. president, was also enrolled here.

In keeping with the ethos of Garden City, St. Paul’s was built to an exceptionally high standard, including top-tier sporting facilities. In fact, the school was even the setting for a memorable exhibition game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants. And later, its basketball courts served as a training facility for the New York Nets.

For more than 100 years, St. Paul’s thrived, its hallways filled with the chatter and hollering of its resident boys. But in 1991, the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island declared bankruptcy and the school was forced to close its doors for good. For this grande-dame of Garden City, that was the beginning of the end.

At first, it seemed as if St. Paul’s might be spared the tragic fate that has clearly befallen it today. After all, Garden City officials were able to purchase the property — along with its accompanying land — as early as 1993. But in the years since, nobody has been able to agree on its future — and as a result, it has descended into rot and decay.

As early as 1978, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and it is clearly regarded with affection by the people of Garden City. But although residents have utilized the green space surrounding the property over the years, the school itself remains an empty shell to this day.

A few years after its closure, the facility was floated as the new location for the Garden City High School, although the cost of the project proved its ultimate undoing. Then, in 1996, residents were invited to vote on whether or not the building should be turned into an assisted living home. By a tiny margin, the proposal was dismissed.

As the years passed, the school remained empty, its fate a question mark hanging over Garden City. Then, in 2008, residents again rejected a proposal to convert the building into apartments. That same year, an opinion poll revealed that 45 percent of local respondents supported the demolition of St. Paul’s.

So far, the school has managed to avoid the wrecking ball. And according to The New York Times, the people of Garden City still show some care for the beleaguered building, lighting it up at night and bedecking it with Christmas decorations. But inside, as Dark Exploration Films discovered, the neglect is beginning to show.

Apparently, officials currently spend $100,000 on maintaining the school every year. But clearly, this is nowhere near sufficient to prevent the property from falling into disrepair. And as Devin and his companion explore the empty hallways and rooms, they are shocked to discover black mold, peeling paintwork, and dust on every surface.

In one room — possibly a former dining area — dripping crystal chandeliers hint at the one-time grandeur of this lonely and forgotten place. In another, more elaborate light fittings contrast with the scene of chaos below, with upended tables and broken tiles scattered across the floor. Meanwhile, in the corner, a sinister mural depicts soldiers, bishops, and solemn schoolboys in an echo of the building’s past.

At the heart of the school, a magnificent atrium rises up around the central staircase, light flooding in from the glass skylight to illuminate the thick layers of dust. The banisters, Devin observes, are crafted in elaborate wrought iron — another reminder of the building’s glory days. But at the same time, the odd smattering of graffiti places the scene firmly in the 21st century.

As Devin and his companion venture off down endless wood-paneled hallways, they marvel at the high ceilings and peer into room after room. In one, a lone bunk still hangs from a chain along the wall, a child’s drawing scrawled above it. Elsewhere, a former classroom stands empty, its blackboards bare as if waiting for some unseen hand.

Here, too, the explorers become suspicious that something supernatural might be occurring. But soon, the source of the unexplained noises is revealed — a family of pigeons, it seems, has taken up residence on the upper floors. And in such a sinister place, their gentle coos appear to transform into something altogether more terrifying.

Meanwhile, in the school’s chapel, the camera pans around brightly-lit stained glass windows, wooden pews, and a huge organ complete with towering pipes. Towards the middle of the room, two Bibles lie discarded on the floor, while an open hymn book rests upon a purple altar cloth thick with dust.

According to local media outlet The Garden City News, one of the stained glass windows in the chapel is of particular note. Created by New York’s famous Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company, the panel was installed in 1892, apparently designed to serve as a memorial. And today, it is practically priceless in value.

Elsewhere, the explorers encounter plenty of idiosyncrasies that highlight just how much St. Paul’s has changed over the years. On the one hand, clawfoot baths and ornate fireplaces serve as throwbacks to the building’s illustrious 19th-century roots. But on the other, abandoned cans of Gatorade and Michael Jordan posters suggest an altogether more modern breed of student.

Back down in the basement, meanwhile, things are not all doom and gloom. And while the team’s alleged camera difficulties somewhat hinder their exploration, they are still able to document many of the rooms and hallways that occupy the lower floor. And from the incongruous British flag suspended from a wall to the lockers stretching off into the darkness, it seems a strange and unnerving place.

Although someone at one stage or another attempted to brighten up the basement with a colorful mural, it’s clear from the video that the explorers remain on edge. But despite their misgivings, they do not seem to encounter any phantoms or ghouls in the dark underbelly of the school.

What they do find, though, is a fascinating old workshop area, complete with a vintage tool bench and shelf after shelf of screw-filled jars. Instead of a dismal dungeon filled with torture and abuse, then, the basement may well have been a place where students whiled away the hours with carpentry and other pursuits.

In the end, it is clear that the Dark Exploration Films team learned little about the history of St. Paul’s before embarking on their adventure. But it’s not their ignorance that has locals up in arms. Instead, fans of the 19th-century building were shocked that the explorers had been able to get inside — and dismayed to see its decaying condition.

In January 2022, a representative of The Garden City News published an article in response to the video. It read, “This is both interesting and appalling.” Apparently, officials have been refusing access to the school for a number of years, citing safety issues within the old building. Devin and his companion, though, appeared to just stroll right in.

“Some years ago the Village had alarm systems installed at St. Paul’s and, we presumed they included some form of burglar alarms, such as motion detectors,” the article continued. “Well, it seems that if there is a burglar alarm system there now, it’s non-functional. How about the fire detection system? Do we know if that’s working?”

In the article, the paper acknowledged that, this time at least, the trespassers were well-intentioned. But questions were raised about how vulnerable St. Paul’s is to more destructive intruders in its current state. Moreover, the author pointed out that there do not appear to be any obvious structural issues, casting doubt on the decision to keep the school off-limits.

According to The Garden City News, though, the most concerning thing about the video is the neglect it reveals. The article read, “The film they took shows a building that is both beautiful and in decay. But what is appalling is that the Village doesn’t seem to be doing anything to slow that decay down or even preserve the parts of the building that are valuable…”

Take, for example, the window by Tiffany’s that can still be seen in the chapel without so much as a piece of glass to shield it from any passing vandals. According to the article, “It is beyond belief that the Village wouldn’t take even the most rudimentary steps in protecting that treasure."

Looking at the comments section below the article, it’s clear that emotions still run high when it comes to St. Paul’s. According to some, the building is being allowed to decay on purpose so that developers can demolish it and get their hands on some prime real estate. Others, however, insist that officials are still coming up with a plan and that the school will eventually be saved.

Interestingly, one commenter even suggested that the footage captured by Dark Exploration Films was more helpful than the official architect’s presentation. And with it, locals have been able to get a clear idea of what is happening inside the building. In the end, then, might Devin and his companion’s visit end up having a lasting impact on the future of St. Paul’s?