From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM –A fire raged through the historic former Ensley High School building in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to the Birmingham Police Department.
Birmingham firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night and are still on the scene.
The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation this morning, the department said.
Ensley High School was founded in 1901, but the building wasn’t constructed until 1908. The high school served the students of the City of Ensley until the city was annexed into the City of Birmingham by the state legislature in 1910 under the “Greater Birmingham” legislation.
Following the annexation, the school was absorbed into the Birmingham City School system. The building remained in use as a high school for 98 years until it was closed and the students were sent to Jackson Olin High School in 2006.
The building has been unoccupied for the last 12 years.
@bham_fire working at the old Ensley High School. Unknown how the fire started…. 😔 pic.twitter.com/aFbprNOfyb
— Birmingham Police (@BhamPolice) July 17, 2018