Muncie’s Eugene Field school was first established as part of Center Township’s rural system. The building replaced Center Township’s District 10 schoolhouse, commonly known as Hurst or Middletown Pike, when it was completed in 1926 for $31,000.
Materials from the District 10 schoolhouse were used to build its replacement. At first, Eugene Field featured four recitation rooms, a manual training department, and a domestic sciences department1. Although it only served students ranging from grades one through eight, Field became Center Township’s only school after two others, Riley and Forest Park, were annexed by Muncie after the 1928-29 term.
At first, every grade-school student in Center Township outside of Muncie’s city limits was sent to Field. My grandma was one of them! Kids who progressed past eighth grade continued their studies in Muncie, Selma, and Royerton2. Eventually, younger students that Field couldn’t handle were sent to Royerton and Harrison Township before a 1953 addition more than doubled the building’s capacity3.
In 1959, the Eugene Field School and a new Center Township school called Claypool were assimilated into Muncie Community Schools. Eugene Field closed fourteen years later. In Muncie, its students were dispersed to Morrison-Mock and Grissom Elementary Schools4.
In 1977, the Eugene Field building was sold to Art Forms Corporation, a manufacturer of fiberglass molds, for $42,50065. Today, the company is known as Arrowhead Plastics. It maintains manufacturing and office space in the old schoolhouse and its addition.
Sources Cited
1 Let Contract For New School (1925, April 22). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 1.
2 Township Only Has One School (1929, July 24). The Muncie Star. p. 14.
3 Farrell, J. (1953, March 21). New Field Addition to Relieve Overcrowding. The Muncie Evening Press. p. 16.
4 Loy, B. (1973, April 27). Board to Rule on Closing Field School. The Muncie Evening Press. p. 13.
5 School board studies Eugene Field school bid (1976, December 29). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 13.
I was hoping there were pictures inside of the school. I was hoping maybe some while school was being held.
I’ll be sure to post some if I can get m hands on them!