| City/Town: • Tulsa |
| Location Class: • School |
| Built: • 1928 | Abandoned: • 1975 |
| Status: • Demolished |
| Photojournalist: • David Linde |
Lynn Lane School was built in 1928 and was named after the street on which it was built. Most Tulsa schools are named after a person, so this school is unique in this way. The school was annexed in 1962 and finally closed in 1975. In 1970, a girl was raped and murdered by a laborer and her body was found next door to the school. Also in the 70’s, a chlorine tank down the street at the Lynn Lane water treatment facility ruptured forcing families to seek shelter at the school.
Gallery Below
Bibliography
If you wish to support our current and future work, please consider making a donation or purchasing one of our many books. Any and all donations are appreciated.
Donate to our cause Check out our books!
To elaborate on the later history of Lynn Lane, and the more recent comments by Russell & Tiffany, the B.A. school system must have owned or leased the old school past the mid 70’s, and used it as a temporary school & storage while other schools were being built during B.A.’s growth during the 70’s & early 80’s. So, not abandoned in 75, but rather “mothballed”.
From 1st to 3rd grade, I attended Vandever Elementary, NW of S. Elm & 101st. Then in 1980, before the start of my 4th grade year, most of the families living South & SW of that intersection were told that a new school was to be built, Arrow Springs Elem., in the back of the Hidden Springs & Arrow Springs subdivisions. But until then, like in Tiffany’s case, we were to be bussed all the way up to Lynn Lane…OVER 9 MILES AWAY!!! (Coordinates: 36.147169, -95.779907, literally at the corner of old Route 66!) I remember the bus rides to & from taking well over a half hour each way, and woe to the parents who had to drop off/pick up their kid from there.
I’m not surprised by these photos of the school back in 2009. Lynn Lane was dingy & creepy back in 1980! Definitely a lot of peeling (lead-based?!) paint, boarded-up buildings, drafty as hell and just bad vibes in general. Don’t remember that storm cellar so much, but glad I never saw the inside of it. By the first months of the 2nd semester (1981), Arrow Springs finally opened.
Personally, my Lynn Lane experience wasn’t pleasant at all, and started a bad taste for B.A. schools till I finally moved to Tulsa in my 9th grade year. I (& many others) lost good friends made at Vandever, was shipped off to that dump for 5-6 months, and then returned back to a very bland “new” school, which I had to start walking to. Just for the displacement from Vandever alone, I hope there’s a special place in hell for the B.A. school district decision-makers from back then.
In 1944-49 the Bolen family lived on Lynn Lane RD.
Frank Ephraim Bolen, 14, was killed Aug 1949, while riding a friend’s scooter. Lucille an older sister and Mary Alice Bolen, my Mother, was the youngest sibling.
Anyone who might have photos of the school or classmates from the mid 1940s to 1950, that might share contact me please.
Note: Lynn Lane
Dashley00@att.net
this looks haunted
Can anyone help me with the location? i searched but couldnt find it
I'm quite late to this party, but just saw the site.
I went to first through 5th grade at Lynn Lane Elementary (1972 through 1977–the last couple of years they'd migrated most students out). I have wonderful childhood memories of the place. It's sad to see it in such a state, but buildings do not last forever. Even in their poor state, these photos brought out a lot of memories for me, things I have not thought about in decades.
I only remember a few of my teachers' names, but they had a profound effect on me, as children's teachers will. Mr. Petcoff was the principle–he was a kind man, and I have always looked up to, and liked him. I also liked Mr. Davis, the PE teacher, who taught square dancing as well as the standard dodgeball, tetherball, baseball, etc. I recall a few other teachers, but will control the urge to go on here, and just focus on the school.
When I was there, we had 5 portable buildings, from (as I was told) re-purposed WWII barracks. Those were long gone before these pictures were taken. They were for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades, 3rd grade, 4th and 5th grade, and the cafeteria and the library.
From south to north in the south building, I remember the rooms being (when I was there): art (on the south end), music (with a small stage where we did our childhood plays), 4th grade science, a multi-purpose room where they had the nurse's station, etc., and the principal's and secretary's offices and copy room (the mimeograph machine with its odd purple output). .
The north building was, when I was there, the gymnasium (though I'd heard it had previously been the cafeteria as well). We did a lot of PE outside, but when we were inside, we would use the mats for tumbling, or we would square dance, or play some games with a parachute (my favorite), or some long bamboo sticks.
The storm shelter was always a place of intrigue to me as a child. It was small, so not many classes could fit down there, but I recall going down there once or twice with my class, either for drills or for actual tornado warnings. I recall that a few times, it was full of water, though I don’t know why it filled up (bad rain storms, maybe?).
I too remember the wild onions, honeysuckle and wildflowers around the edges of the property—many of the children in my class were quite taken with the onions, which made the rooms stink at some times of the year. The brook and its bridge were magical, and having all that room to run and play on across the stream was amazing as a child. I discovered books and SRA cards in the library and media center. I remember the big fans in the windows at the beginning of the school year, as there was no air conditioning, and the one big space heater in the gymnasium that kicked on every so often, and the crack in the east wall at the southeast corner of the gym between the cinder blocks (big enough to see through).
The school was reused as a charter school or something in the 1980's for a bit, before being closed down completely. I walked around the grounds for a few minutes, reminiscing, after I found it had been torn down completely.
Seeing these photos reminds me that a school is far more than just a set of buildings, and that the impact of an elementary school is profound, deep, and long-lasting.
I lived in Broken Arrow from 1st grade thru 7th grade and then we moved to Tahlequah, OK. Although I lived in Broken Arrow, I was bussed to Lynn Lane school in 1976, 1977 or 1978. The school had been closed down in 1975 so it had been closed up until they started bussing me and others who lived in B.A. to Lynn Lane school while we waited for Parklane Elementary School in B.A. on Shelby Lane, (which was right off 71st), to finish being built. We had classes in prefab buildings out beside the school building itself but ate our lunch in the cafeteria and used the restrooms inside the school. I remember that the building had an eerie quality to it and was kind of dimly lit and dreary and looked very old inside. I do not remember how long we were bussed there but I don’t think it was very long..4-6 months maybe, and then the building of Parklane Elementary was finished and we left Lynn Lane School to attend Parklane. Does anyone remember this?
I grew up there and lived right across the street . On the corner of 11 and lynn lane . Went to 2nd grade up to 7th my name is Daniel and my brother Dudley and my sister lisa all went to school there and to church at the baptist church I rember the old burned out barber shop my Dad was Bill Dutton and my mom was Francile .my neihbors were the caldwells and the myers. I rember sherry myers and her family . I rember my best friend Danny wolfer and his Dad also lorie barrows , and tammy youngblood , terresa springfellow and timmy elckins and a few others. I haveyet to see or talk to any of my old classmates .
I went there from 1966 -1969 1st 1st 2nd 3rd my best memory was playing on the big Rock and baseball my brother and my two sister's went there only lived 1 mile west on 11 no bus for us.
Does anybody have any information on the murder? Like news articles or anything of that nature?
Hey Kevin My name is Daniel Dutton and my family lived on the corner of 11 and lynn lane right across from the school .my nahbors were the caldwells across from us and the myers up the road who owned a gas station and then the sasenskis. (Im sure the spelling is incorrect) cant remember you ? My family lef .after 7grade I went to lewis and clark and moved to illinoise and then California .we lived on a farm were the resavoir was built .and moved to 11 and lynn lane. I have yet to meet any one from my school .my favorite teache was Dr Ordor science teacher he moved to seattle was I was still a student and he would let me take care of the science lab animals over summer vacation . So shout out to any and all who went to school with me also my mom would be in charge of the school holloween haunted house….
Enter text right here!
My name is Henry, and I only have a couple of memories from that school. One was the swats the Mr. Davis would give, didn't like getting those very much. Two was my 4th grade homeroom teacher Mrs Godfree she was a big black lady that for some reason made a lasting impression on me as a young adult.
I will post this link in a group that I am in called The Eastsiders of Tulsa. So there might be some more comments coming soon.
I went to lynn Lane in 1966 ({6th grade) I remember alot of snow and how cold the rooms were. The auditorium room was used for head count homeroom and everything else to include plays and I think it was also used as a cafeteria..its been so long I may be wrong about using it to eat our lunches. I think it was used for everything since it was one of the few buildings that had heat. I moved from living near the KVOO Towers back into Tulsa and went to Bell Junior high after that-and haven't looked back since.
The clean image of the 'fighting cardinal' is interesting, since that's East Central's mascot and they've long used the image of a Cardinal with boxing gloves.
As I browsed the pictures I thought I recognized the buildings. Kelly gave a location above and that's exactly the school I thought this was when I saw the first few photos. It just looked so different inside that I doubted myself that it was the same place.
After the school's closure in the late 70s it lay empty for a short time then was re-purposed as a private school. I was too young to care so I am not certain if the new school bought the land and buildings or perhaps leased the location themselves. In reading the comments above it's interesting to see some of the history of the building prior to my birth.
If I recall the name of the private school correctly it was "Faith" or "Faith Christian Academy" something to this affect. I lived in east Tulsa less than a mile away, I remember this school, the buildings/ball fields, and latter parts of the history well. I actually was placed there by my parents for 4th grade which would have been the 1984-85 school year.
In 5th grade I was moved back into TPS and attended Sandburg but recall this school as being active for a couple more years after I attended there. After the final abandonment of the building in the late 80s, I don't recall ever seeing anyone else purchase or refurbish anything on the land. The chain-link backstops were up into the mid-90s but the land was commonly too overgrown to play ball there. When I moved out of east Tulsa in 1995 the building still looked in decent shape but the storm cellar looked as if it had been vandalized. Also I recall some of the pre-fabricated buildings that had been onsite had been removed and all that remained were the brick and mortar structures and a few dilapidated chain link baseball backstops and two soccer goal boxes.
I visited my old stomping grounds at some point between 2008-10, I don't recall exactly the year. This was one of the places I drove by on my trip down memory (Lynn) lane. The intersection itself didn't look too different overall, just that everything looked older and time-worn from what I remembered. The old school had taken a visible beating and showed many signs of vandalism, it was a little sad.
I haven't visited the area since but it sounds from an above comment that there wouldn't be anything to see as this building is now apparently demolished and gone.
Great shots, thanks for the memories. 🙂
Yes Faith Christian Academy is correct. I was there in 7th grade at that location. We were only there for that one school year then moved again. May have had to do with the buildings not sure
i went there briefly, never knew about the murder until years later. now one of my friends just rented a house next door and she is going to love this!
I have actually caught EVPs of disembodied voices before they tore the school down. Here is a link to hear some of those EVPs if your interested http://www.chirbit.com/dhill1985 Click on the share links then hit play
I found a brass plate near the old schoolgrounds that obviously went on a wooden plaque. Etched in the brass plate are: Sooners League 1941-1942 Zelma Krosley, Laura B _ _ _ Z? (illegable),Gertrude Slaton, Arvola Phillips, Min Hughes, Hattie Slaton. If anyone knows whether any of these girls are still around…and would like to get this plate back and maybe even restore it/place it on a modern plaque, please post here. It would be great to return it…from lost history.
Dusty, my name is frank nichol, i think i grew up with some of your kin folks, would like to talk to you and see if you ever heard of them, her maiden name was crockett, my phone # is 918-282-6717, my email is frank_nichol@sbcglobal.net
I went to school there from 1969 to 1975. I appreciate the comment about the onions and the honeysuckle. I distinctly remember the bridge across the little creek which seemed huge to a 6 year old. We had about 10 acres to the west across the bridge that we could play on. We also had our gym days outside there. We ran the 50 "yard dash" and played baseball as a whole school there at the end of each year. The old prefab buildings were where most of the classrooms were. There was only one heater in the winter and it was high near the ceiling. It was always cold in the winter. So many memories. I have some black and white pictures which I took in 1977-78.
My Great Grandmother built the school and was the teacher there. She leased the school to the county $1.00, and the lease was good as long as it was used as a school. We tried getting the school back years ago but we were not able to break the lease do to the school districts claim that they were using it for storage. Very sad its gone, it did great things for my people and the community.
I would love more information on Lynn Lane. My Grandmother was there (according to the 1930 Census). It listed her as an "inmate". I thought it was some type of correctional school for girls. I finally found this site and it looks like I may be wrong. Does anyone know where you can look at the records and get more information?
It is really sad that the school is gone. I attended school there from preschool until 5th grade when we moved to Claremore. I have the most fond memories of attending school and the many friends and great teachers I had in a small school atmosphere. I actually started a Lynn Lane Elementary page on Facebook – many of my childhood classmates posted and there are a number of pictures there. The school had lots of character, of course all of the white pre-fab buildings have been gone for years and I remember how fun it was to get to the other side of the bridge to the fields to play at recess!
This building is now nothing but a pile of rubble. Demolition appears complete as of May 10, 2011.
On Monday, May 9, 2011 the building was demolished.
How about Rocky Point Recreation Area in Inola, it's been closed for quite a while but still has picnic tables, cookers etc. There ARE ways to get in, it's still owned by Oklahoma. Never did understand why they closed it down. I have lots of good memories from there in the 70/'s 80's.
Friend, We had an old shack they called a cabin in that area back when the roads were nothing but dirt and stones; spent alot of time at that lake not to mention all the snakes and broken glass in the water; great place to launch your boat. It was so hot out there, it still makes me take a sigh of relief; we had no air conditioning in our shack but it was good times anyhow getting away from Tulsa. I didn't know it was in Inola, you might be talking about a different place. We would go past Choutou and it was close to Wagner. The thunderstorms out there were quite surreal.
Actually, Lynn Lane was the name of the old township that used to be in that area. The name stuck with the road even after the community was absorbed into Tulsa.
Here's the link: http://www.tulsaokhistory.com/cities/lynnlane.htm… And, sorry it's part of Broken Arrow, not Tulsa….I should know that. =)
Dear KCAC and Others,
SORRY, Lynn lane School is in Tulsa, I have relatives that live down the street on 11th just a little east of Lynn Lane School. They have a Tulsa address, are in Tulsa county and in Tulsa School district. They have lived in the house many, many years. The county line at 193rd E. Ave used to be the city limits after 11th street and 21st Street up until a few years ago, some police officers and 911 still don't know it till they check in with their headquarters. After 193rd it is still Wagoner County but it IS in Tulsa City Limits. Now Tulsa expanded it's city limits and annexed a few years ago all the way to 257th EAST Ave and beyond depending on the street.. 11th street is in Tulsa Limits now all the way out there as is 21st even though 21st dead ends. On 193rd Street Broken Arrow city and School district DOES start when you get to 31st Street! We are the only house on the east side of the reservoir and 193rd south on the 21st street dead end road. Doesn't go through past us.( It used to go through many, many years ago and sometimes will show up that it goes through on peoples portable navigation units (which are NOT always right) We bought our house 4 years ago right after Tulsa expanded its city limits. The Realtors were even confused! We are in Wagoner County, Tulsa City Limits, have a Broken Arrow address and are perhaps in the Catoosa School district. But the first 3 I am sure of, we have found out the hard way! Have a trash fire on the east side of 193rd and you will find out real quick when the Tulsa Fire Dept comes out and tells you to put it out and also tells you that you have to apply for a 24 hour permit for $50.00! , or if a hunter goes east of 193rd during hunting season with a gun they CANNOT fire a gun in the Tulsa City Limits, the police will tell them that too or charge them. Took us a while with the 911 and police but now Tulsa KNOWS where we are and comes out immediately when we call because there used to be many criminals who thought they could cross some of the streets across 193rd E.Ave and be OK, now they are finding out that is not so. And yes, we do call police on ANY suspicious activity and we have large dogs on our fenced acreage which are a fantastic alarm and protection. Plus we both have concealed carry licenses for guns. I am a former police officer myself-was one back in the 80's in Tulsa before my teaching career. Despite having TWO Dead End signs we get many turn arounds and lots of drunks. So we do keep our eyes and ears open along with those of our dogs. Thanks! FAR EAST Tulsa Residents
I & a few other Flickrers have visited Lynn Lane. Check out these pics: http://www.flickriver.com/search/%22Lynn+Lane+Sch…
My mother, Mrs. Waller, taught for several years at Lynn Lane in the 70s. She still speaks fondly of all the students she had in her classes there. It's sad to see the school in this shape now.
Wow!! I had Mrs. Waller for my 6th grade teacher!! She was the best! Would love to get an update on her. Feel free to email me if you like:
scottabates1@hotmail.com
Interesting photos of the old doors and doorways,a mind wanders into thinking about all the kids who went back and forth through them and where they are now….Take care,,,Tery
I went to school here in the 1st-3rd grades in the 70's. There were also several prefab buildings that were torn down many many years ago. I remember walking across a bridge that was over a little creek to get to the playground. There was also honeysuckle bushes & wild onions near the south fence line that we used to pick.
I went to this school during the 1970's. The school as we were told the elder's who went there also many years before told us at a school assembly, it was built in 1900. The school assembly took place in 1975 in the gym. They told us stories and how the school had become more modernized (if you will) since the good ol days of the 3 r's. Reading, riting, rithmatic.
I was student there in 1976 school year.
Lynn Lane was still there when I was in Junior High School at Lewis and Clark in 1978-79 school year.
I agree with everyone else it is so sad to see a school destroyed like that. There were lots of great memories there. It was a really good school to go to and yes country style schooling.
That little building is where i caught some amazing EVPs.. We heard a knocking sound and I stuck my recorder in and asked "Hello?" and got a clear Hello response. Me and another male went back a second time and got another clear one saying "I will shred you" as well as a female voice saying something that doesn't sound english. Take a listen to the audio here: http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3… click on the links and the audio player should come up on the pages. Just hit play
I went to this school in 1968 1969 it has the best school. We did the school play in that gym took school pic there .I set a record in the high jump in that gym. It was like going to old country school.The best of times
I must have there when you were there…I attended Lynn Lane 4th through 6th grade
FYI this week the little building that can be seen on the right in photo 65 and next to the cellar in photo 66 was torn down. Not sure why or if there are plans for the rest of the site.
that little building was used as the janitors office and band and orchestra were taught in it. it also had pre-school.
Thats the building that I caught come great EVPs. Listen to the "I can show you" EVP. Janitor perhaps? http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3…
I went to this school in 1973 – 1974…it's kind of sad to see it like this.
i have past by this school i want to go in but i wonder if i will get in trouble?
Only if you get caught haha
The school actually didn't close until 1978. I went to this school from 1967 – 1972. This was a great school to attend. I have many happy memories of this ol place. It is such a shame to this once great place end up like this.
Hi Cheryl, I recently purchased an ole school bell and was told that it was the Lynn Lane School bell. Would you have any pics of the school showing the bell? Thanks!
haywood? i'm the 4th
I went in 1966-67 Remember that gymnasium; they used it for assemblies and just about everything else and it might have been one of the few rooms that had heat; It must have snowed alot that year cause the bus we rode in picked us up over around the Kvoo Towers houseing area; I might even know you! The best time was eating lunch in that old builiding
Glad I could be of service and tell everyone about this school. I've been about three times now and everytime I go it's new for me. Next door is an old gym or cafeteria.The only experience I had there was hearing a little girl's voice. I don't know if that could be the murder that happend there or not but I could not make out what was said.
I understand you heard a little girls voice.. where exactly did you hear it? Did you hear it with your ears or a recorder? I was just there not to long ago checking the place out with a digital camera, recorder, and a K2 meter. If you can i would like to hear from you. My e-mail is dhill1985@gmail.com Thanks
love image 40 😀
It is on the southwest corner of 11th and Lynn Lane. The last pictures show the 'front' of the building that faces Lynn Lane. So sad that this building is left this way!
i'm from broken arrow ….. went to haskell. is it a paranomal site.?
I cant even remember seeing it in passing…and I usually notice old buildings.
i think thats called reckless behavior
Wow! pic #31 is my fave! So weird how someone chose to throw all the desks & chairs in that celler. wonder why?
I'm not sure really. Ive seen that in alot of places before, all the chairs or furniture thrown into one place.
So Sad, as a retired teacher I think this is really terrible. They could have done something with this school, no schools really nearby, kind of like a little community. One of my son's young employees lost his life there driving down that street trying to get to his night shift work just this last year.. He ran into a telephone pole right in front of the school, died instantly. You can still see little bits of the vehicle and flowers left by the pole. It really shook my son up. Lynn Lane Baptist is right across the street, a mechanics shop is also on that corner, looks like it might have been a store at one time. Old farmhouse behind the mechanics shop and another store on that corner that makes cabinets. So like I said perhaps it was once a community. My son won't go down that street to work any more. He takes a different way.