The industrial building at the corner of County Roads 100-West and 300-North in Blackford County may not seem like much at first glance, but it started life as the Washington Township School. I’ve always wondered what’s hiding beneath that siding. After a series of high winds late last year, I thought I might finally get a glimpse! Unfortunately, no such luck (for me, anyway).
The Washington Township schoolhouse was built in 19231. Consisting of six rooms, a heating plant, and a basement, the $30,000 structure was built by J.F. Wilde and Company of Indianapolis2 to replace an old schoolhouse, Lillibridge, which served the students of District 8. In 1938, the Washington School also took on several students from the Licking Township District 1: Bailey school, which had burned the previous winter3. Five years later, the building absorbed the students of the Licking Township District 2: Gadbury school, which had also fallen victim to fire4.
The Washington Township School closed in 1953. Its students were sent to a larger structure at Roll5, which became the new Washington Township school before its closure after the 1961-62 school year6. The Washington School was later used as a warehouse for Crist, Incorporated. In 1974, its roof was ripped off in a tornado that caused $100,000 in damage7! I’m not rooting for another disaster, but I’ll admit that part of me hoped for a little structural give when I drove past last October, j enough to peel back the layers and reveal what’s underneath that siding.
The current shell of Blackford County’s old Washington Township school feels like a mask that hides the bones of its past. I can’t help but wonder what original details might still be intact beneath the surface. Could there be brickwork or old window frames from its days as an educational institution? Maybe some faded lettering or a forgotten architectural flourish? I bet it’s all there, and the idea that so much history might be tucked away beneath the building’s modern cladding makes it hard to pass by without looking twice.
Sources Cited
1 Dr. Moyer Dies At Montpelier (1923, January 25). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 3.
2 School Head At Hartford City Plans To Leave (1922, May 5). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 2.
3 School Petition Is Turned Down (1939, July 26). The Muncie Star. p. 4.
4 Gadbury Pupil Shift Arranged (1943, January 17). The Muncie Star. p. 6.
5 Blackford County Trustee to Sell School Building (1955, October 30). The Muncie Star Press. p. 36.
6 McBride, M. (1996, October 14). Roll – it rhymes with doll. The Muncie Star Press. p. 19.
7 Storm Damage Clean-Up Begins at Warehouse (1974, January 29). The Muncie Star Press. p. 3.
