Sheyenne River Academy
Wells County
Abandoned in 1977
Sheyenne River Academy opened its doors on this site north of Harvey in 1904 and was in operation until the end of the 1976 school year. It was a Seventh Day Adventist secondary school. The new location known as Dakota Adventist Academy opened in 1977 near Bismarck.
The present owner of the property is using the grounds and the buildings for horses and other livestock. We knocked on a few doors at a nearby home in an attempt to get permission to go inside, but we were not able to find anyone around. So we snapped a few quick photos and left, hoping to return some time in the future when we can get permission.
It’s a real shame to see this impressive facility falling into disrepair. We sure hope someone can do something with it in the future.
Sheyenne River Academy has a Facebook page here, and you can read more about the history of the academy here.
There are four buildings in the academy facility, but you can barely see it from the road. The main gate is fenced and no longer used.
Note the dirt ramp on the front steps.
Someone has knocked out a window just to the left of the entrance to make it possible to park a vehicle inside the building.
Photos by Troy and Rat, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
Beautiful photos that tell a sad, sad story.
It’s amazing how fast these buildings fall about. 1976 was only…..guess it has been awhile.
Brick and mortar building cost millions to build and only a few thousand to replace a roof. Most of these type building have flat roofs that only last for about 10-20 years. To restore these may be too late for the interior damage now. If you see a building like this to restore put on a pitched roof and it will last like and old barn.
It is amazing the places you folks find. Great to see the pics!
I went to school here and it was an amazing place. So many wonderful memories and so sad to see what has happened. Thanks for posting. Inside the main building you will find some amazing art work from 1976. Memories!
grew up and left the Harvey area in 1976, it brings back many memories of these pictures.
I went to Sheyenne River Academy and graduated in 1977…the last class to do so! It was a lovely campus and was a really fun place to go to school. Makes me sad to see it in this state.
I entered SRA 1971 as an apprehensive, homesick 14 yr old and graduated as a confident 18 yr old ready to take on the world. We seldom had more that 100 students in grades 9-12 at any one time. Looking back I have many great memories and appreciate the staff and fellow students who supported each other as a small family. I have maintained lifelong friendships with many I met there. Future doctors, nurses, preachers, teachers and farmers walked those halls. We came from all walks of life and went our separate ways bound by the ties that only living in a small boarding school and a love for God can create.
Rat, another place for you to stop is Courtenay and Kensal, just north of Jamestown. The people in Courtenay have put up a memorial on the corner of Hwy 9 and 20. Also Wimbledon has the Peggy Lee memorial at the Midland Depot where she lived.
The current owner must not know that some bldgs are for humans and some for livestock. He should be sent to Jamestown for what he has done to the place. Many people are made sick by what others have done to SRA.
Yes,….what a shame.SRA was a wonderful step for many of us. As kids, we prob did not apprehend the value of the entire adventure.
All the alumni out there who are saddened to see what shape it is in should as a group purchase SRA back from the owner, redo the campus adding an SDA museum, small publishing house, ABC, lay evangelism center, wellness center, etc. The comment was made that doctors, lawyers, farmers, preachers and teachers graduated and are obviously successful. Do we all have the EG White message?
Georgia Widicker Orwick says:
It’s heartbreaking to see what happened to our dear old school and beautiful campus. What a shame.
I believe you all need a reality check.!!! Have you ever driven the rural roads of this state and observed the decline of most small rural towns, including the schools? Much consolidation has and is still occurring. Small towns are dying. The population is building in ND as a result of the oil boom, but is mostly concentrated in larger cities. Our own DAA has very limited enrollment, and has room for triple the students. To retain the viability of the old SRA site would cost millions of dollars. It is now private property and he can do whatever he wishes; to go on to the property is trespassing. Memories are memories, leave it there!
Thank you Janice for making it clear that you disagree with everything this website is about. Have a nice day.
It’s the lack of appreciation for history that dooms us to repeat it
If a private group wanted to buy and preserve the campus that is their right too.
after the school closed, was it rented out as a summer camp location? I have a very slight memory of this, but I think i was 6-7 at the time
I don’t know if anyone can confirm or deny, but I’ve heard that the conference never even got paid for the property, at least not completely.
My dad was the boys dean here in about 1954-55. I was 4 years old. Don’t remember much.
I had the chance to explore and shoot the inside of the 3 main buildings yesterday. This place was amazing. Far beyond repair to say the least. Some sections of the floor were completely caved in but you could walk around about 90% of all the buildings.