The Last Sentinel

A solitary desk keeps watch in the rubble of UCHS. This iconic photo was taken by Elaine Simon in September of 2015 and was published in “Witness to a Demolition,” Pennsylvania Gazette, 23 February 2017. Quoting Simon, a daily documenter of the site, the article reads: “Her goal was to ‘capture the stages of demolition as a way to remember the site and make a statement about cycles of destruction, displacement, and development.’ Noting that Drexel University, which bought the land from the district, ‘plans a shiny mixed-use development called University City Square,’ she asks: ‘Was this urban renewal all over again?’”