In 1881, Greene Township’s District 5 schoolhouse sat next to Center Cemetery at the modern-day corner of State Road 26 and County Road 500-West1. Sometime between 18872 and 19003, a brick replacement was built a half mile south on the land of G.W. Fields.
Greene Township is a remote place. No incorporated communities lie within its bounds, but the township eventually became home to nine district schoolhouses4! Unfortunately, students were forced to travel to Portland, Mount Pleasant, or Pennville to continue their studies beyond eighth grade.
Stakeholders began planning a township-wide consolidated school in 19195, then filed suit to force the issue after officials dragged their feet6. Unfortunately, nothing happened. Only eight students graduated over the previous two years. Greene Township was probably too rural to build anew7.
Greene Township’s schoolhouses began to consolidate through attrition even without a modern building. The Center schoolhouse was one of only six remaining in 19228. Only four -Union, Center, Walnut Corner, and Willow Chapel- remained by 19409.
Evidently, the Center School closed sometime before 1950 when it became the Greene Township Community Center10. Since its closure, the old District 5 schoolhouse has seen nearly as much use as its heyday! The Green Township Farm Bureau met at the building in the 1970s11, and it was used for 4-H meetings at least through the 80s12.
Still owned by Greene Township13, the venerable structure served as a polling place as recently as 201414.
Sources Cited
1 Historical hand-atlas, illustrated: containing twelve farm maps and History of Jay County, Indiana (1881). H.H. Hardesty [Chicago]. Map.
2 Griffing, B. N. (1887). Greene Township. An atlas of Jay County, Indiana . map, Philadelphia, PA; Griffing, Gordon, & Company.
3 Jay Co., Ind (ca. 1900). Map from around 1900 of Jay County, Indiana, showing land owners. Web. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
4 Kelley, J.W. (1901). New atlas of Jay County, Indiana. J. Will Kelley [Portland]. Map.
5 School Plans Are Laid Over (1919, July 3). The Portland Commercial-Review. p. 1.
6 Take Action To Compell [sic] Issue School Bonds (1919, October 24). The Portland Commercial-review. p. 1.
7 (See footnote 6).
8 Jay, M.T. (1922). History of Jay County, Indiana Volume 1. Historical Publishing Company [Indianapolis]. Book.
9 Two Men Burned In Truck Crash (1940, July 17). The Muncie Star. p. 5.
10 Farmstead Planner at Portland (1950, April 9). The Muncie Star. p. 18.
11 Dateline Data (1974, December 6). The Muncie Star. p. 17.
12 Hidy, C. (2021, December 17). Memories!!! Our sons went to 4-H meetings there in 80’s. We also voted there. No longer a voting place. [Comment on post showing photo of Center schoolhouse]. Facebook.
13 Parcel 38-06-21-100-006.000-022 (2024). Jay County Assessor’s Office. eGIS [Portland]. Web. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
14 Jay County Polling Sites (1014, May 4). The Muncie Star Press. p. A10.
