Hidden among Birmingham’s northside neighborhoods sits one of the city’s most recognizable forgotten schools – the former F. D. McArthur School. Though many now know the building as an abandoned structure standing near Carraway Hospital, its story stretches back more than a century and reflects the growth, change, and educational history of Birmingham itself.
F. D. McArthur School first opened in 1903 as Seventeenth Avenue School, a small two-room wooden schoolhouse located at the northwest corner of 17th Avenue North and 25th Street in Birmingham’s Druid Hills community. The school mascot was the Hornets, and the school colors were green and white. During the early 20th century, Birmingham experienced rapid industrial expansion, with new neighborhoods developing as workers and families poured into the growing city. As the population increased, local schools struggled to keep pace with the demand for education. Enrollment at Seventeenth Avenue School quickly climbed to approximately 75 students, revealing an immediate need for larger facilities and setting the stage for future expansion.
In 1910, the city replaced the original wooden structure with a larger two-story brick building. This new school was designed to accommodate the growing population and became part of the expanding Birmingham City School system. The structure would become a familiar landmark in Druid Hills for generations.
As Birmingham continued to expand, the school grew alongside the city. A major change came in 1941 after nearby Barker Elementary School was destroyed by fire, creating an immediate need for additional classroom space. In response, an eight-room addition designed by the architectural firm Warren, Knight, & Davis was constructed at the school. Expansion continued in 1948 with the addition of a new wing that significantly modernized the campus. The project included nine new classrooms, a lunchroom, a special education classroom, a small gymnasium, principal’s offices, four restrooms, and a boiler room, transforming the school into a larger and more functional educational facility for the surrounding community.
In 1948, the school was renamed for Frank Duncan McArthur who died the following year. McArthur was a prominent Birmingham attorney and longtime member of the Birmingham Board of Education. After serving Birmingham students for nearly nine decades, the school closed in May 1997. Declining enrollment and budget concerns were reported as major factors in the decision.
Following its closure, multiple redevelopment efforts emerged. In 2003, a proposal to sell the building to a church failed. The following year, the Birmingham City Council acquired McArthur and several other vacant schools for future development purposes. In 2008, Mayor Larry Langford announced Shinsegae USA Inc., a South Korean-based firm, which was interested in Carraway Hospital, also planned to purchase the school to renovate it into a nursing school for international students that included a $3 million renovation. The project never moved forward.
Redevelopment discussions have continued into recent years as the surrounding Druid Hills and Carraway areas undergo major changes. The city has periodically sought proposals for adaptive reuse of the site in 2021 and 2024.
In May 2025, the city announced that before any redevelopment or demolition could occur, an abatement is necessary due to the severely deteriorated condition of the structure. The city allocated $179,000 for the abatement process. By December 2025, a construction fence was placed around the property. In April 2026, demolition began on the vacant school building.
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Really good article!!
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I’m not sure if you got permission to go in there, but if so who do you contact for that? I would like to do this for my photography class final, so I figured I should at least try going through the legal channels. Either way, thanks for all the information! I had a hard time finding anything for places like this in my area of the country before I found your page.
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Honestly you can go on the cops don’t really care that’s if there is any anymore. But it’s a dope place to go, as well as the homeless man Arthur he’s very nice and welcoming. He also says the school is haunted and not to come at night. But it’s very much in tact and very beautiful still.
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Excellent article. Sad to see that the school was closed and the building is deteriorating so badly. F.D. McArthur was my husband’s great-grandfather.
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Does anyone know of a plan to change the school into a place to house women for a work release program?
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I am a former student of McArthur. I attended in the late 50’s and early 60’s. I have started a Facebook page for the school and have about 90 members.
We are having a reunion on May 2, 2019. If you are a former student/teacher, please do a search on Facebook and join the page.
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I attended McArthur 55-58, lived on 22nd Street
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I started school (1st grade) at the Seventeenth Avenue School in 1948 and moved to the beautiful new F. D. MacArthur school at mid term 2nd grade. I only got to attend one year because we moved to Tennessee at mid term 3rd grade. When I returned about 2005 to show my late wife where I started elementary school I was appalled at the condition of the building. What a shame that we in this country can’t maintain and utilize such wonderful facilities.
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Who owns the school? Could it be bought and like someone said house women or something else.
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I think it is owned by the city.
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It belongs to the city and I was told has been used by the fire department for training.
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I started school in September 1953-1961 at FD McArthur. I lived at 1600. Graduated from Phillips High in 1966. We had such fun times at the elementary school especially our Fall Festivals.
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What happen to Northside elementary school that was across the street from the Holiday Inn in Birmingham on 24st n ,I lived in druid hills and went to Northside and Phillips hs,but I can’t find any history or pictures of Northside elementary school.
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I went to MacArthur grades 1-8 and graduated in 1961 then went to John Carroll High School. My parents owned a grocery store on the corner of Huntsville Rd. and Druid Hills.
After graduating from college, I taught in the Birmingham City system as a Speech Pathologist. I was very sorry to see MacArthur deteriorate as it did.
Many wonderful memories in elementary school and great friends were made. I have a copy of our 8th-grade graduation class. Mister Green our teacher and Mr.Vines our Principal.
Those were the days!
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I went to McArthur from 1988-90 4th and 5th grade… those pics brought back a lot of memories… it’s sad to see such a great school in those horrible conditions 😢
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