Illinois school-turned-apartment building goes viral over laundry room
A listing for a former school that is being offered up as a potential multifamily home has gone viral thanks to a disturbing image taken inside its basement laundry room.
The spacious property, which is located in Carlinville, IL, and is on the market for just over $1 million, is causing quite the stir online after internet users spotted something untoward on the floor of one of the rooms—leading some to suggest that the 28,656-square-foot schoolhouse is “haunted.”
While the listing for the expansive 56-bedroom building, which was built in 1938 and previously known as South School, highlights the “fresh paint” and “changed flooring” in “several” of the units, it is one seemingly untouched area that is drawing the most attention.
“I’m getting the feeling something bad happened here,” one person wrote while sharing images from the listing with a “probably haunted” tag on Reddit.
The original poster did not reveal the exact source of their concern, but one quick swipe through the attached images quickly reveals why they were so convinced that the property has a dark past: a blood-red splatter stain on the floor of one of two coin-operated laundry rooms.
‘Something bad happened here’
Many of the images of the former school show a rather traditional-looking building with plenty of original elements, such as a brick exterior, wide central staircases, and green flooring.
But then internet users caught sight of one terrifying photo of a decrepit laundry room with its walls of peeling paint, a red substance on the floor, and old machines that have seen better days.
A tiny door with a lock, sloped and cracked plaster ceilings, and a tangle of cords add to its horror-movie vibe.
Some were convinced that the red stain on the floor was a clear indication that something sinister had taken place in the building, with one person commenting: “Oh, there’s definitely something massively wrong.”
“Maybe the serial killer who has run this place is retiring or too old to run the kill house. Maybe they just need to sell and move on,” another joked.
However, others were quick to insist that the splatter was likely just spilled paint.
“That’s paint in the laundry room … I think,” wrote one, as another added: “Definitely paint, dried blood isn’t that bright.”
Another agreed, “That is absolutely paint. The prison vibes from the stairs/hallway are a little ominous, I agree, but at least there isn’t blood all over the laundry room floor.”
Of the general vibe, others chimed in, with one posting, “Yep definitely no disembodied children’s voices in there.”
Another pointed out that the former academic building didn’t really look like a residential property at all. “This is an apartment building? Looks like an old high school!”
One joked, “I love it. Those hallways would be perfect for a rollerskating ghost.”
Another pointed out that the building could have a cinematic future, or at least a place in the Netflix queue. “Future set of the season of ‘Stranger Things,’” one pointed out, referring to the popular sci-fi mystery series set in a 1980s Indiana town.
Historic home
Built in 1938, the property came on the market in March 2024 for $1,358,000. Since then, the price has come down to its current amount, and, creepy clothes washing room aside, is now quite the steal at $38 a square foot.
Across two buildings, the property offers 56 bedrooms, 24 baths, and 28,656 square feet of space. It sits on a 0.82-acre lot.
Despite some of the uninviting photos, the Realtor.com® listing notes that the investment property is a revenue-generating machine, with little to no vacancy.
A “vacant unit only lasts a few days,” the listing notes.
As for the units, “some are three-bedroom apartments with lofts, 16 foot ceilings and balconies that each have their central air and water heater along with stove, fridge and dishwasher,” according to the description.
Other units offer two bedrooms, some with balconies. Those also come with central air and kitchen appliances.
The property boasts “property upgrades.” Perhaps that spooky laundry room was overlooked during the updates?
“Each building has its own coin-operated laundry room,” the listing states. “Both buildings were known to be South School and are solid, very nicely remodeled about 20 years ago and well kept through the years with full occupancy.”
In fact, the investment seems to be a decent one, with net operating income calculated to be $104,072. That’s after operating expenses of about $52,000.
The property is located in “historic Carlinville,” 40 miles from the state capital of Springfield. The town features fall festivals, including “Christmas in Carlinville.”
