Ward Township’s District 5 schoolhouse is one of the best-restored in Indiana. Originally a frame building that stood east of Clear Creek1, the school -commonly called Jackson after the farmers who owned its land2– was relocated to its present site in 1891.
The extant schoolhouse only operated for twenty years; it closed in 1911 after the Jefferson School south of Deerfield began absorbing students from the western part of Ward Township3. Students who attended District 5 were split between two districts, and the building was sold back to the Jackson family in 19134.
The school was used to store grain for many years until Greg Sommer, Jon Meeks, and Bobby Manning formed a nonprofit group to rehabilitate the structure in 20145. The group used bricks and stone from the demolished Clark schoolhouse that once sat at the corner of County Roads 100-West and 500-North6.
A replica cupola, similar in style to the original, was added to the building’s roof in 20217. The new transom is stunning! Today, the restored Jackson schoolhouse stands as a testament to an earlier time of rural education and the stewardship of its subsequent owners.
Sources Cited
1 Hinshaw, G. (2008). A History of Education in Randolph County, Indiana. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
2 Fittes, E.K. (2015, July 16). “One-room schoolhouse gets a second life”. The Muncie Star Press. pp. A1-A2.
3 Public Education in Randolph County, Indiana. 2018. Sharing history for 68 years in Randolph County, Indiana. Randolph County Historical Society and Museum. Web. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
4 (See footnote 1).
5 (See footnote 2).
6 Sommer, G. (2016, October 29). Here is some of the work that was done by the crew from Midwest Maintenance Company out of Piqua Ohio [Image attached]. [Status update]. Facebook.
7 Sommer, G. (2021, June 1). Installing the Bell Tower by Goodhew Roofing in which the built it like the one that was up there when [Image attached]. [Status update]. Facebook.
This was restored by my uncle Greg. Before restoring the building, my grandpa and dad used the land around it as cow pasture. I actually have pictures of the inside when I did my senior pictures before they restored it and the difference is night and day!
That’s an awesome story. Your uncle did a fantastic job!