A family in Tennessee bought an old abandoned schoolhouse and is turning it into the mansion of their dreams, but the renovation project scares skeptics.
High school senior Sarah Collis uploaded a video to TikTok with the caption: “POV: Your dad randomly bought an abandoned school/he’s fixing it up and now you live here.”
The video shows the transformation of Ducktown School from a creepy, dated and run-down school to a slightly more homely and livable building.
Ducktown School was formerly called Kimsey Junior College and was built in 1933 with the original purpose of promoting education for the town’s miners.
In 2021, Jason Collis and his wife purchased the historic building and are still working to restore it, while living in the huge abandoned school.
A family in Tennessee bought an old abandoned schoolhouse and is turning it into the mansion of their dreams, but the renovation project scares skeptics.
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 7 High school senior Sarah Collis uploaded a video to TikTok with the caption:](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643156_384_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
High school senior Sarah Collis uploaded a video to TikTok with the caption: “POV: Your dad randomly bought an abandoned school/he’s fixing it up and now you live here.”
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 9 In 2021, Jason Collis, seen here with his daughter Sarah, purchased the historic building and is still working to restore it, while living in the huge abandoned school.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643156_336_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
In 2021, Jason Collis, seen here with his daughter Sarah, purchased the historic building and is still working to restore it, while living in the huge abandoned school.
The school was abandoned in 2006 and suffered vandalism and neglect for years, Collis said. ABC.
Collis attended Kimsey Junior College from kindergarten to seventh grade and he, along with other members of the community, were not prepared to see the school disappear.
He said he wasn’t prepared for the work the transformation would entail, but his family is determined to turn the old building into the unique home of their dreams.
In Sarah’s most recent video, posted Wednesday, many of the school’s rooms remain intact, including the gym, auditorium, hallways and lockers, stairs and some of the classrooms.
The paint is badly peeling and the floors and walls are worn and damaged, while much of the old school furniture remains in the rooms.
Sarah insisted that the family didn’t just move in and that most of these rooms have already been fixed up.
She also shared that they hold meetings at the school and use it for the community all the time.
However, a recent clip of Sarah’s room shows some of the progress her family has made in their renovation efforts.
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 11 In Sarah's most recent video, posted Wednesday, many of the school's rooms remain intact, including the gym, auditorium, hallways and lockers, stairs and some of the classrooms.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643157_315_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
In Sarah’s most recent video, posted Wednesday, many of the school’s rooms remain intact, including the gym, auditorium, hallways and lockers, stairs and some of the classrooms.
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 13 The school was abandoned in 2006 and was vandalized and neglected for years.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643157_789_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
The school was abandoned in 2006 and was vandalized and neglected for years.
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 15 1713643157 617 Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643157_617_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 17 Sarah's spacious room is beautifully decorated and in good repair, and has apparently been updated with new flooring and paint jobs.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643158_546_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
Sarah’s spacious room is beautifully decorated and in good condition, and has apparently been updated with new flooring and paint jobs.
Your spacious room is beautifully decorated and in good repair, and has apparently been updated with new flooring and paint jobs.
Although some elements, such as the windows and baseboard, remain intact, the room overall looks much nicer than other parts of the house.
The house-turned-school features a sprawling lawn, originally a playground, surrounding the property.
In the playground there are still swings, roundabouts and rocking chairs, which create a nostalgic and slightly eerie tone for the now backyard.
TikTokers flocked to the comments to talk about the unique house, with many agreeing that the old abandoned school is creepy.
“Why does it scare me?” one user commented, while others asked for updates on renovations and room tours.
Other rooms in the school/house are much creepier than others, especially the boiler room, which Sarah posted a tour of on TikTok.
The roasting room, accessed via some very ominous stairs, is filled with rusty clutter and worn-out machinery.
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 19 Collis attended Kimsey Junior College from kindergarten to seventh grade and he, along with other members of the community, were not prepared to see the school disappear.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643158_836_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
Collis attended Kimsey Junior College from kindergarten to seventh grade and he, along with other members of the community, were not prepared to see the school disappear.
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 21 Sarah insisted that the family didn't just move in and that most of these rooms have already been fixed up.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643159_8_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
Sarah insisted that the family didn’t just move in and that most of these rooms have already been fixed up.
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 23 In the playground there are still swings, carousels and rocking chairs, which give a nostalgic and slightly eerie tone to the now backyard.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643159_814_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
In the playground there are still swings, carousels and rocking chairs, which give a nostalgic and slightly eerie tone to the now backyard.
![Meet the family that turned an abandoned school into their dream home - but critics say the whole thing gives them the creeps 25 Collis said he wasn't prepared for the work the transformation would entail, but his family is determined to turn the old building into the unique home of their dreams.](https://whatsnew2day.com/wp-content/uploads/cwv-webp-images/2024/04/1713643159_176_Meet-the-family-that-turned-an-abandoned-school-into-their.jpg.webp)
Collis said he wasn’t prepared for the work the transformation would entail, but his family is determined to turn the old building into the unique home of their dreams.
TikTok users were quick to point out how scary the room below is.
“Knowing that’s my basement would scare me,” one user said.
“Hide and seek would be so difficult,” another joked.
“It’s definitely haunted down there,” one user commented.