I have been wanting to photograph landmarks in the Terlingua Ghost Town, located in the Big Bend area, but I don’t like photographing at night where there is a lot of light pollution. That said, I decided that I would photograph parts of the city during my recent trip to the Big Bend area in order to work on my night photography techniques. At the top of my list was the Perry Schoolhouse. Skies were clear and the light pollution conditions were acceptable. Unfortunately, the schoolhouse has deteriorated significantly. Soon it will completely collapse. I’m glad I took the time to photograph it while it’s still standing.
Built by the Chisos Mining Company in 1930, and named after Howard E. Perry, the Perry Schoolhouse enrolled 141 students in its first year. The four-room stucco building served the Terlingua, TX community for many decades until the school was closed and the students began attending regional schools. Perry operated the Chisos Mining Co. until 1942, when the company declared insolvency and was purchased by the Esperado Mining Co. Perry was a fixture in the Terlingua area and Terlingua became the “Land of Perry”, where he controlled all aspects of life.
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Great find for a night shot. Looks like you had to do some complicated lighting; well done.
Thanks Rick. Fortunately the moon helped but we did light the inside with tea lights.