Parker Elementary School

12744 Elmira St, Detroit, MI 48227


-Abandoned 2012

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History of Parker Elementary School

Parker Elementary School is a abandoned school located on the west side of Detroit and was built in 1927, replacing a temporary wooden structure. The school was constructed as part of the Brady Plan of Schools, which aimed to build many schools with additions based on necessity at later dates. Courville Elementary School, also explored on Abandoned Commercial Detroit, was another Brady Plan School. At its opening, Parker was able to house 1,400 students. However, only one addition was ever added to Parker, in 1973 a small one story steel frame addition was connected to the gymnasium/auditorium hallway from the south. In 2005, due to declining enrollment, the school was transformed into a K-8 institution, but in 2011 it was announced that Parker would close in 2012. When the school closed, it was one of the most scrapped schools in the Detroit Public Schools system. By 2017, the walls of the 1973 addition had been removed, leaving just the steel frame and minor structural supports. The interior of the school faced major water damage and severe vandalism, evidence of fire damage is also present in various sections. However, even in 2025, many small murals remain in the school along with messages left by students during some of the last days of the school's operation, showcasing a strong bond between students and teachers at Parker.

Additional Reading

  • George E. Parker, a well known principal in the Detroit public school system who, in 1919, became one of the first in a group of district principals. He worked on behalf of the retirement fund, and served as secretary of its Board of Trustees.

Recollection from the author

Parker was a case of a school that once had a life of its own but stripped away from vandals and scrappers. The atmosphere of the school was very similar to the Bethlehem Temple of Inkster School also explore on the website. From the walls to the ceiling most of it was gone. However what was not gone was the messages left behind at closing from the students from murals to messages on the chalkboards it was still there somehow, someway. This added a layer of hidden character that many abandoned places lack, in the way Parker presents it.

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