How Ty Swartz Designed a School Haunted by History

  The setting of a story can feel as alive as its characters. In The Vanishing at Pinecrest, Pinecrest Middle School holds decades of secrets, with walls that have witnessed generations of students and the disappearances of four students every twelve years. Author Ty Swartz wanted the school to feel real, layered with history, and shaped by events that leave marks on both the building and the people in it.

     In the book, the East Wing is the oldest part of the school. It is where the shadows seem longer and the air feels cooler, even in summer. Swartz drew inspiration from real buildings in Virginia, especially those that were once segregated schools during the mid-20th century. Many of these buildings had additions and renovations over the years, creating a mix of architectural styles. The result was often a patchwork of hallways, staircases that seemed to lead nowhere, and locked doors that no one bothered to open.

     Swartz has said that the East Wing's layout mirrors the feeling of a place that has been adapted for different uses over time. What was once an assembly hall might now be a storage room. A library might have been divided into small offices. The physical changes hint at deeper stories about who was allowed in specific spaces and who was not.

     During segregation, schools for Black students were often underfunded and overcrowded, while white schools had better facilities. When integration came, some schools were merged, but not all communities welcomed the change. In some cases, old buildings were left standing but given new purposes, their history quietly tucked away. Swartz wanted Pinecrest to carry that kind of layered past, where the building itself remembers more than it tells.

     In The Vanishing at Pinecrest, the East Wing becomes a place where old history and present danger meet. It's locked rooms and hidden passages that connect directly to the mystery Sam is trying to solve.

     Swartz approached the design of Pinecrest like a photographer setting a scene. Each hallway and doorway had to serve a purpose. He imagined where the afternoon light would fall, how the sound of footsteps would echo, and what students might notice as they walked alone. The building's age is part of the tension. A loose floorboard might hide a clue. A narrow stairwell might be the only escape route.

     He also considered how students would interact with the space over the decades. Walls might hold old photographs that no one has taken down. Storage closets might contain boxes of items from a time when the school was different. By giving the building its own personality, Swartz enabled the school to be both a witness to the past and an active player in the present.

     A well-designed setting adds depth to a mystery. In Pinecrest's case, the school shapes the events in the book and becomes the center of the mystery. For readers, this means that every corner and corridor might hold a clue and that the building's past is as important as the people in it.

     By blending real historical influences with fictional details, Swartz created a school that feels authentic, unsettling, and full of stories waiting to be uncovered.

     Read the book to know more.