Green Township held classes in one of the first schoolhouses in Madison County. Built on James Jones’ farm and funded by subscription, the log structure was home to John Wilson’s three-month term during the winter of 18291. By 1897, the township had grown to feature seven2! A schoolhouse in Ingalls was one of them.
The town of Ingalls was a latecomer to Green Township. Established in 1893, the place was founded after the Big Four Railroad was extended3. The community quickly grew, so a graded schoolhouse was established there in 18944. Officials were intent on building a larger, more permanent structure, so a two-story building with a cylindrical belfry was completed at Meridian and Washington Streets in 1895.
A third Ingalls schoolhouse featured four rooms and was completed in 1913 for $13,450. Unfortunately, its builders were sued by township officials for scheming to bill the township for more work than had actually been done5! Despite the chicanery, it appears as though the area’s District 5 and 6 schools closed to send their students to the new building once it was completed.
The 1913 school in Ingalls originally served students from grades 1-86. Three additions were eventually made to the building, including a $126,000 expansion in 1956 that added two classrooms and a gymnasium with seating for 500 people7. Eventually, the school grew to feature eight classrooms and three portable ones, the gym-cafeteria, an office, restrooms, and a teacher’s lounge in the basement.
In 1958, Indiana passed new legislation that specified minimum enrollment numbers for school districts8. As a result, the school townships of Green, Fall Creek, and Adams merged to create South Madison Community Schools in 19659. Green Township’s Center and Ingalls schools were retained as elementary buildings.
Center closed in 1971, followed by the Markleville, Fall Creek Heights, and Ingalls schools eight years later10. Ingalls Elementary ended its sixty-six-year run serving students from grades 1-5 who were sent to Pendleton after its closure. With four exceptions, all of the building’s teachers were sent to South Madison’s East Elementary near Emporia11.
Officials were initially coy about potential uses for the abandoned building12. Fortunately, it was ultimately renovated and expanded to serve as the Ingalls Church of God.
Sources Cited
1 Forkner, J. & Dyson, B. (1897). Historical Sketches and Reminiscences of Madison County, Indiana. book. Anderson, IN.
2 (See footnote 1).
3 (See footnote 1).
4 Record of the Year. (1894). The Ingalls Land Company. Web. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
5 Contractors are Sued (1915, April 10). The Elwood Call-Leader. p. 1.
6 Staley, C. (1979, May 3). Ingalls School slips quietly into history. The Pendleton Times-Post. p. 1.
7 New Ingalls School Center To Be Opened (1956, March 31). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 1.
8 Delaware County Committee for the Reorganization of School Corporations. (1959). A Comprehensive plan for the reorganization of school corporations of Delaware County Indiana. Muncie, IN; Delaware County Committee for the Reorganization of School Corporations.
9 Wyant, M. & Marsh, J. (1969 August 8). A Teacher’s Dream Turns Into Reality. The Anderson Daily bulletin. p. 8.
