Established in 1909, the Stonewall Jackson Training School was created to house troubled boys who had been convicted of crimes or considered as delinquents. The hope was that the school would help rehabilitate children under the age of 18 and provide them with useful vocational training, instead of sending them to prison.

But what happened behind closed doors at the Jackson Training School was truly evil.

Flickr cj Speight The harrowing past of the Stonewall Jackson Training School is full of tragedy, stories of abuse and severe cruelty.

Flickr Ken Fager For most of the students the school was worse than prison. Harsh conditions and violent beatings were a regular occurrence for residents of the school.

Flickr Dale Moore Accounts mention everything from being locked in closets for hours at a time, to being beaten to the brink of death.

Flickr Dale Moore Horrifying stories of physical and mental abuse, sterilization and other unspeakable acts also surround the school.

Flickr cj Speight Cries for help were often ignored and met with more abuse.

Flickr cj Speight To escape the brutality, students would often run away only to be caught and disciplined with even harsher violence.

Flickr cj Speight Though the school is no longer in operation, rooms are still littered with its remains, including abandoned beds, pianos and some say, even a few ghosts.

Ever heard any stories surrounding the reform school? Tell us in the comments.

Flickr cj Speight

The harrowing past of the Stonewall Jackson Training School is full of tragedy, stories of abuse and severe cruelty.

Flickr Ken Fager

For most of the students the school was worse than prison. Harsh conditions and violent beatings were a regular occurrence for residents of the school.

Flickr Dale Moore

Accounts mention everything from being locked in closets for hours at a time, to being beaten to the brink of death.

Horrifying stories of physical and mental abuse, sterilization and other unspeakable acts also surround the school.

Cries for help were often ignored and met with more abuse.

To escape the brutality, students would often run away only to be caught and disciplined with even harsher violence.

Though the school is no longer in operation, rooms are still littered with its remains, including abandoned beds, pianos and some say, even a few ghosts.

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