by RobOnLocation, February 11, 2022, Updated February 15, 2022
Patrick Henry High School, located in Stockbridge, Georgia, is set to be demolished in the near future. Located in the Atlanta area, this school was used as the location of the fictional “Hawkins Middle School” and “Hawkins High School” featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things. The school appeared in the first three seasons, and will also be seen in the upcoming fourth season, which is expected to be released on Netflix in mid-2022. It quickly become a popular attraction for fans of the series, who can often be seen visiting and taking selfies.
The Henry County School Board has voted to use the property to build it’s new STEM High School. These schools offer a focus on education in the science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. The courses are highly specialized and prepare students for careers in these fields.
Patrick Henry High School was used as an adult-alternative high school and adult education center. It was closed in 2015 when the school board chose to move the school to an alternate location. Since then, the location has sat empty, making it an ideal location for filming. In addition to Stranger Things, the school was also seen in the 2019 film Brightburn.
I personally visited the school location in March 2019, as part of my trip to visit the various Stranger Things filming locations. I noticed the location appeared to be mostly abandoned, with few staff and no activity going on. The parking lot was used for school bus parking. You can see more pictures and information from my visit here.
No date has been announced for the demolition, but the anticipated groundbreaking for the new school facility is set for late 2023. The adjacent Stockbridge Elementary School and Stockbridge Water Tower will not be demolished.
I received this statement from John Hardin, Executive Director – Media and Public Relations for Henry County School:
“Our school district has had a great partnership with Netflix and the production company responsible for Stranger Things since the first season of the show. Our board of education did announce recently that the site of the former Patrick Henry High School (facility used for Stranger Things) will ultimately become the home of a community-approved STEM high school for our school district. We have not settled on a date for groundbreaking and construction of the STEM school just yet, but discussions and planning continue to move forward. These discussions will include any preservation of the school’s current structure, if desired.”
News regarding the STEM school was initially reported by MovingHenryForward, with additional reporting from 11Alive and the Henry Herald.
