The Jay County community of College Corner wasn’t named for the schoolhouse that still stands there. Rather, it received its name from an old Farmers Academy that once stood at the site and closed in 18581. In fact, there was no College Corner schoolhouse as late as 1887! The closest education institutions stood a mile east and west of the hamlet2. College Corner proper received its first township school in 1901.
The open-belfried College Corner school burned in 1916. Locals petitioned the township for a replacement, but officials refused to take action after another faction demanded that the schools of rural Wayne Township consolidate3.
It’s unclear whether the 1901 schoolhouse was saved and restored, or if a new structure was completed. Some of the original building’s elements, like parts of its original staircase, remain. At any rate, the firm of H.A. Arbaugh & Son was finally granted a $2,300 contract to work on a schoolhouse for the rural community in 19164.
I’ve seen photos of the original College Corner schoolhouse and believe it was heavily renovated after the fire. Regardless of its provenance, the tidy brick school served students until 1938. Today, the old building is a home.
Sources Cited
1 McBride, M. (1997, January 13). College long hone, but history still strong. The Muncie Star Press. p. 19.
2 Atlas of Jay County, Indiana (1887). Griffing, Gordon. & Co. [Philadelphia]. Map.
3 Want New School Erected (1916, February 22). The Muncie Star. p. 3.
4 New School To Be Built (1916, June 15). The Muncie Star. p. 5.
As the owners our neighbor went to this school in 1930’s. Closed in 1938 for consolidation. Please visit Jay County Historical Society for additional information.
Thanks, Randy!