I’ve explored nearly three hundred of East-Central Indiana’s old schoolhouses over the past decade. Some are abandoned, others have been repurposed for agriculture, and many have found new life as homes. Most still retain some semblance of their original layout, but the old Riley School just south of Richmond is a different story. Nearly two-thirds of its original structure was demolished when it was turned into a house! Today, what’s left is a stark reminder of how historic structures can be reshaped, lost, and preserved over time.
From what I can gather, Wayne Township was long the overlooked red-headed stepchild of Wayne County’s school system. With most of the area absorbed by the city of Richmond, the township never really had much need for its own high school. Instead, rural students could easily attend schools in the city- an arrangement that, at the time, seemed to serve everyone well enough1.
The blend of rural and urban educational resources may have worked for years, but things changed dramatically. Consolidation made one-room schoolhouses obsolete, and the need for a new approach was clear. In 1930, County School Superintendent A.H. Hines and Township Trustee Harry Reeves unveiled plans for a new school on Boston Pike, just three-quarters of a mile off US-27. The proposed $75,000 brick building was set to include six classrooms, a gymnasium, an auditorium, and a basement2.
It was an ambitious project for the time3. Up until then, Wayne Township had only educated students through the elementary grades! The new school, though, would house the township’s first junior high4. Built on a ten-acre tract overlooking the Elkhorn Valley, the new Riley School was eventually designed to feature nine classrooms- eight of which meant to open onto a second-floor foyer overlooking the auditorium5.
Wayne Township’s last one-room schoolhouse, one on Liberty Pike, closed for good when the new Riley School officially opened in 19316. The dedication ceremony drew a large crowd to which Richmond attorney Will W. Reller delivered the keynote address. “Riley’s philosophy was expressed by him in four words,” Reller declared. “Just do your best7.”
Students who had previously completed sixth grade at Highland, Pleasant View, and other local schools were advanced to Riley for the next stage of their education8. The building was designed to support a wide range of activities. In addition to junior-high courses, it offered hands-on training in automobile engines, ironwork, and other vocational skills9.
Still, problems arose. Just eighteen years after Riley School opened, it was already overcrowded. Wayne Township’s advisory board reviewed several bids for six- and eight-room additions, with costs reaching as high as $115,00010. In 1950, a two-story, eight-classroom addition that accommodated three-hundred pupils allowed the school to take on ninety elementary students from Wayne Township’s Highland Elementary11.
Unfortunately, the addition wasn’t enough to keep up with the growing student population. In 1956, a one-story, $35,000 wing was added to the building’s southeast side to provide for two new fifth-grade classrooms12. While the expansion helped ease some of the immediate pressure, it was clear that Riley’s growing enrollment was outpacing the building’s capacity. The new wing served as a temporary fix, but it hinted at larger challenges ahead as Wayne Township’s educational needs continued to evolve.
Riley became part of Richmond Community Schools in 196213, but it didn’t take long for more issues to surface. By 1969, a group of parents had labeled the building “antiquated” and questioned whether it could still meet the needs of its students14. Despite these concerns, Riley held on for a few more years until it finished its final term in 1971–72.
After that, its students were transferred to the newly built Garrison Elementary School two-and-a-half miles southwest. Riley’s last official event was a fitting farewell- the annual PTO ice cream social and band concert held on June 1, 197215. The gathering closed the chapter on nearly four decades of education and community at Riley.
The Army Reserve moved into the old Riley site in 1972 from their former headquarters at 19 South Fourth Street. Reservists took over the ground floor, but Richmond Community Schools continued to use the upper stories for storage16. In 1982, the property was appraised at $21,000- its value dragged down by the building itself, which was seen as a structural liability17. Despite the concerns, the school found a new life as the home of RIchmond Bible College in 198518, then again after a buyer converted the old schoolhouse into a home.
It takes a sharp eye to spot the building from Boston Pike and an even sharper one to recognize the remnants of Riley School in the current home. From what I can tell, the house retains the entire 1956 wing, parts of the 1950 addition, and roughly a third of the original structure. The building’s transformation has softened most of its schoolhouse identity, partially blending it into the look of a typical residential property. A few years ago, the house was listed for sale, but the online listings offered little clarity on what original features remain. Still, if you know where to look, subtle hints of Riley’s past are hidden beneath the surface. A peaked roof here and some fenestration there whisper of its former life as a township school.
Sources Cited
1 Williams Starts Agitation To Build Vocational High (1917, February 6). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 6.
2 $75,000 Is Set As Cost Of New Wayne School (1930, July 5). The Richmond Item. p. 2.
3 (See footnote 2).
4 School Equipment Contracts Awarded by Township Board (1931, May 13). The RIchmond Item. p. 3.
5 Ceremony Marks Dedication of Riley School (1931, September 5). The Richmond Item. p. 1.
6 New Wayne Township School is Classed As Modern By Hines (1931, July 10). The Richmond Item. p. 16.
7 (See footnote 5).
8 (See footnote 6)
9 (See footnote 5).
10 Wayne Advisory Board Studies Bids On Riley School Addition (1949, May 21). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 1.
11 Crowded Classroom Situation Relieved By 2-Story Addition At Riley School. The Richmond Palladium Item. p. 1.
12 Riley School Addition (1956, August 19). The Richmond Palladium Item. p. 19.
13 Emslie, W.R. (1962, June 1). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 7.
14 Fleming, J. (1969, September 11). Riley School Is Termed “Antiquated”; Replacement Asked By Parents’ Group. The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 10.
15 Final Event At Riley School Concert, Social (1972, May 28). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 10.
16 Army Reserves Move To Riley School NCO Academy To Train Men (1982, November 21). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 4.
17 Hunter, A. (1982, February 2). School board to sell garage site. The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 2.
18 Wiley, H. (1985, February 3). Richmond Bible College gets course suggestions. The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 9.
