My mom and I were wandering the backroads of rural Tipton County searching for blog inspiration when a sign for Sharpsville caught my eye. I thought I’d remembered an old gym there from a previous drive, and my memory hadn’t failed. Still standing strong after all these years, the former home of the Sharpsville Bulldogs -and, later, the Sharpsville-Prairie Spartans- is a true survivor.
Generally speaking, a school must be established before its gymnasium can be built. The earliest known schoolhouse near Sharpsville was likely a simple log structure on the south side of Mud Creek. It operated on a subscription basis, where families paid tuition for their children to attend. After the 1852 law established a uniform public school system1, free schools began to appear throughout the township. Among them were Cole, Richardson, Rock Prairie, New Hope, Swingtown, Hobart, Dewitt, Pratt, Ross, Naylor, Nevada, and Union2.
In 1908, William Finley of Tipton was charged with building a $35,000 three-story school in Sharpsville proper. It was commissioned as a high school two years later. An addition with a wood shop, domestic science, and junior high classrooms was eventually erected for $15,0003. Like the rest of the state, Sharpsville subsequently went basketball crazy.
In 1925, contractors McLary and Gifford completed a gymnasium with seating for a thousand spectators- though even more could squeeze in if they stood. The grand opening featured a lively dedication ceremony, including a “playlet,” musical performances, readings, recitations, and, fittingly, a nighttime basketball game4.
In 1927, the Sharpsville Bulldogs won the Tipton Sectional and Anderson Regional before losing 29-22 to Muncie Central in the first round of the state finals5. Fortunately, the gritty team came back with a vengeance the following year: on February 3, 1928, the Bulldogs triumphed over the Frankton Eagles with a 33-28 victory.
Just ten hours later, disaster struck when a massive fire consumed the high school. A janitor found flames when he reported to work the next morning, and the fire soon grew into an unstoppable inferno. Battalions from Tipton, Kokomo, Kempton, and Sharpsville battled the blaze, but the high school was lost. Miraculously, the gymnasium survived7.
Some speculated that the fire was linked to Sharpsville’s hard-fought victory the night before8, but the true cause was never determined. Still, the Bulldogs pressed on: just ten days later, the team received new uniforms and continued playing in the gym after a road stand against Lafayette9. Despite the odds and adversity, the Bulldogs went on to win the 1928 sectional10!
Unfortunately, Sharpsville’s students weren’t so lucky. Kids of all ages found themselves scattered across town. High school classes moved to the second floor of Roach Hardware Store, while grade school children attended lessons in Ralph Spaulding’s insurance agency and the Sharpsville Methodist Church11. Just three months after the fire, Township Trustee O.H. Hughes commissioned Kokomo architects Rosenbaum & Wolf to design a new $120,000 building with sixteen classrooms, offices, and storage spaces12.
Things changed in 1958, when Indiana’s State Commission for the Reorganization of School Corporations passed new guidelines for school districts specifying that, at a minimum, each must have a resident school population of at least 1,000 students in terms of average daily attendance, as well as an adjusted assessed valuation of at least $5,000 per pupil in average daily attendance13.
As the only high school in Liberty Township, Sharpsville merged with neighboring Prairie Township before the 1963-64 school year to form the Sharpsville-Prairie School Corporation. With the merger, students decided to retire their former mascots -the Bulldogs and the Aces- in favor of a new identity. The schools’ newly united basketball team became the Spartans14. Spartans turned to Trojans after Sharpsville-Prairie merged with nearby Windfall to form Tri-Central six years later.
Sharpsville’s old high school continued on as an elementary until about 1982 when it finally closed for good. The building stood unused for a year until the great-great-grandson of Sharpsville’s founder proposed repurposing it into an Indian and pioneer museum, along with new town and township offices15. Unfortunately, the plan never materialized. The school was demolished in 1988, but the gymnasium was spared once again.
Again, Sharpsville’s gym survived. In 1988, its new owner gave the building a much-needed update by fixing its leaky roof, replacing the original bleachers with modern roll-out seating, and repurposing doors from the old high school to extend its front entrance16. Meanwhile, funds raised by the Sharpsville Park Committee and a grant from the Tipton County Foundation repurposed the old schoolhouse site into Sharpsville Community Park. It transformed the community.
Today, Sharpsville’s park and its century-old gymnasium are the vibrant heart of downtown. Three years ago, the gym even took on a new look when artist Koda Witsken painted a striking mural across its east side! Combined with the classic presence of the gymnasium, a display of historic cornerstones from Sharpsville’s past, and the vibrant new mural, the park creates a unique fusion of history, art, and community. I took a step back when I visited, but relished the modern energy of the space at the same time.
Today, Sharpsville features an unexpected blend of history and modernity. It’s undeniably special. Having survived a four-alarm fire and the destruction of its school, the old gym is more than just a survivor of time- it’s one of those rare rural places that carries the memories of the past while continuing to serve as a vibrant hub for the community today! The old home of Bulldogs and Spartans stands as a testament to Sharpsville’s resilience, history, and enduring spirit. Check out its innards at Brett Yoder’s fantastic Hoosier Gym Journey.
Sources Cited
1 Indiana Constitution. (1851), art. 8, sec. 1.
2 Sesquicentennial: Liberty Township (1993, April 24). The Tipton County Tribune. p. 1.
3 (See footnote 2).
4 To Dedicate December 13 (1925, December 8). The Tipton Daily Tribune. p. 8.
5 Neddenriep, K. (2010). Historic Hoosier Gyms: discovering bygone basketball landmarks. The History Press [Charleston]. Book.
6 Cage, E. (1979, January 20). 1928 Sharpsville School Fire recalled. The Tipton County Tribune. p. 8.
7 (See footnote 5).
8 Leap, M.F. (1966, July 1). Sharpssville Founder Was Pennsylvanian. The Tipton Daily Tribune. p. 27.
9 Wondering About Jinks (1928, February 15). The Tipton Daily Tribune. p. 4.
10 (See footnote 5).
11 (See footnote 8).
12 Awaiting O.K. Of Plans (1928, February 24). The Tipton Daily Triune. p. 5.
13 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.
14 Stroup, J. (1963, October 19). Sharpsville-Prairie School News. The Tipton Daily Tribune. p. 6.
15 Rendfeld, R. (1983, December 16). Shaprsville man sees museum potential (1983, December 16). The Tipton County Tribune. p. 1.
16 Girton, A. (1988, February 19). Altherr seeks STB’s assistance in county reassessment. The Tipton County Tribune. p. 1, 4.
