Many spooky legends have been told as to why this old school building now stands unused, including that of a cannibal principal who ate the students, a 1960s furnace explosion that killed many, or the killing spree of an unhappy janitor. This dilapidated building is dangerous, structurally, and is surrounded by barbed-wire fences to protect anyone from getting hurt.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- Chelsea and Gilmore
Jacksonville, FL
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 30.319173697932353, -81.68039917945862
- County:
- Duval County, Florida
- Nearest Towns:
- Jacksonville, FL (1.7 mi.)
Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace, FL (10.4 mi.)
Orange Park, FL (10.7 mi.)
Lakeside, FL (14.1 mi.)
Fruit Cove, FL (14.6 mi.)
Nassau Village-Ratliff, FL (15.3 mi.)
Atlantic Beach, FL (16.8 mi.)
Neptune Beach, FL (16.9 mi.)
Jacksonville Beach, FL (17.2 mi.)
Baldwin, FL (17.6 mi.)
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Comments (16)
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
We visited Public School Number 4 in 2012 and though it is surrounded by a fence now it’s going through a rehab at the moment. There’s a group of volunteers that are clearing the brush and debris from the building. All the stories mentioned above in the description are urban legends. There was a fire that destroyed the Auditorium a few years ago. Some homeless folk got inside during a harsh cold spell and started a fire to keep warm. Fire got out of control and spread but firefighters were able to contain it to the Auditorium section. The roof is gone in that area so the stage and floor is open to the elements. Anne Lytle was a principal there for many years. Here’s the volunteer site for the clean-up, they have tons of pictures of the school. http://savepublicschoolnumber4.com/
I agree about the “urban legends”. I live here in Riverside Jacksonville and we have been to schooll #4 many times. My friends band even did a photo shoot there, and not once didbwe see or hear anything “supernatural”, but it always makes for conversation. When the homeless started that fire, we were upset as we have always loved school #4 as a landmark institution. Im glad they’re finally doing work ok the old building, but will miss the graffiti ridden school of my youth. Thanks for your clarification, its an interesting place as is, it doesn’t need all the urban legends (made up bullshit)
I took grew up in and am from Jacksonville FL and I agree that I will miss the unique look of #4 with the graffiti but yes I’m glad that they’ve beginning to repair it also… I’ve never had the opportunity to visit in person but if course have driven past it my whole life, I’ve always wondered what it looked like inside…
Hello I am founder of The Southern Charm Paranormal Investigations. I would like the opportunity for my team to investigate this location. If possible please email me moocow1107@yahoo.com
Would love to tag along on Any investigations U would allow. I am a paranormal addict but never have had an experience. Please contact if at all possible.
I’ve went in and it’s definitely haunted.. I’m a medium and would love to go on an investigation with you…. 904-485-7641
Hello, i do paranormal investigations but i work alone. Have been planning on investigating it and you say you are a medium so that would be very interesting to conduct an investigation there. But if you could share with me what you experienced there and why you think it is haunted, hope to hear from you soon, thanks.
Me and my team just recently went to investigate this location. Although There are ways of getting on the property with out scaling the barbed wire fence there is absolutely no way into the school it self. They have boarded up the doors and windows. The only way to possible get in is if you tear down and destroy the doors or have a latter to reach the second floor windows. I wouldn’t recommend doing that tho, there are no trespassing signs everywhere and signs stating the property is under surveillance. We did how ever have a few experience’s while we were walking the ground’s, such as shadows darting in-between the windows, the sound of walking on the second floor, and a second story window that went from being boarded up to being completely open. It’s worth a walk through.
Be careful though. Police patrol the area at night.
My friends and I would go in the school all the time late at night to check things out and scare the shit out of anyone else that snuck in behind us. This was back in 2001, so there were no barbed wire fences. The doors were all boarded up so we had to prop up an old refrigerator door in the back and climb through a broken window. Lots of satanic graffiti, but we never had any real “paranormal” experiences. My friend was brave enough to crawl down into a small hole in the floor of one of the classrooms…freaked us out, keep in mind it was always after midnight when we went so we only had our little flash lights. Unfortunately no smart phones to take video at the time. Made some pretty cool memories though.
Went there in 2012 , took pictures, got home and looked at them, caught a pic of a demon, a witch, and some kind of portal !!! …. no kidding !!!! That place is demonic. Very scary.
You’re funny, what kind of drugs are you addicted to. This place is not haunted. We the Annie Lytle preservation group knows that this location is not haunted. We are there all hours of the day and night for security. And we will have you arrested
I find that interesting, arrested for what exactly? going on public property? There is no way to know the full, unfiltered history of any spot in the world…we only know what is reported 😀
no reason to be defensive. she/he believes they did why not let them have that and as far as being arrested as-long as you have proper verification that you are allowed there they can not be arrested. especially by someone who isn’t an officer of the law. as i ahve been myself.
Demons, witches, scary things that go bump in the night? You need to back away from the MD 20/20.
My friend was pushed out a window here. And there was nothing there to push her. She was joking it’s not haunted evil spirits arise and push out the window she went and sprained her ankle pretty nasty this was 10 or more years ago though the structure is so dangerous i dont recommend anyone go in