Sorry, again, for this, but two days ago, the Muncie Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission posted on Facebook that the old Forest Park Elementary is “the city’s oldest existing public school building.” It isn’t, and my comments and blog post got the commission to issue a correction “As stated by Mr. Ted Shideler, there are examples of older historic school houses and buildings in Muncie. Research confirms that the Forest Park Elementary School is the city’s oldest existing public school building that is currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.” Unfortunately, that’s wrong too. The commission fumbled again.
Yesterday, I wrote up thumbnail sketches of three old schoolhouses and one city elementary that are older than Forest Park. A fourth schoolhouse is thought to be even more ancient by the Department of Natural Resources1! One of those old buildings served Center Township’s 1893 District 14 in Whitely, a community Muncie annexed in 19192. The schoolhouse found a new purpose as Shaffer Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 19283.
The church became a local monument to civil rights4 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in March 2025. It may be known better as a chapel, but even a quick trip to the historical marker standing at the building’s northeast corner outs it as “Muncie’s oldest standing public school building5.”
Still, according to the Muncie Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission, “research confirms (emphasis mine) that the Forest Park Elementary School is the city’s oldest existing public school building that is currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.”
Unfortunately, little research must have been done by the commission in contrast to its assertion. According to its page on Muncie’s website, one of the commission’s duties is “the promotion of the public interest in historic preservation6.” If that’s the case, this multi-day episode has been a remarkable failure. The commission made an inaccurate claim, was presented with cited evidence showing it was wrong, then issued a revised statement that was also demonstrably false.
Historic preservation and advocacy begin with historical accuracy. That’s the floor, not the ceiling. Forest Park Elementary doesn’t need exaggerated claims to justify its importance, and Muncie’s history certainly doesn’t benefit from similar assertions. Do people here deserve better than a preservation commission that seems unable -or unwilling- to distinguish between what it wishes were true and what the historical record actually says? Unfortunately, I guess I can’t say.
At the end of the day, this isn’t really about Forest Park Elementary- it has to do with whether facts matter. Muncie’s history is fascinating and complicated. Those who interpret it don’t need to invent superlatives or ignore inconvenient evidence to make it interesting. Unfortunately, those that ostensibly represent our municipal interest in history seem to have gone that route. Whether its me or not, someone with experience on the board of the historical society should probably be on that commission.
What may be the city’s oldest surviving public school building is remarkable. Forest Park Elementary is remarkable. Shaffer Chapel is remarkable. Ultimately, the real story is richer than the simplified version propagated by our team of representatives on the Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission. That makes it all the more disappointing to see a commission tasked with preserving local history whiff it twice in a row
I’d rather see this episode lead to something productive than spend another few days correcting schoolhouse history on Facebook. The commission clearly needs stronger historical expertise at the table, and Muncie is fortunate to have no shortage of folks who spend their free time digging through archives, researching neighborhoods, documenting historic buildings, and preserving the stories that make this community unique. I served with many of them on the board of the Delaware County Historical Society! Bringing one or two of those people into the process would only strengthen the commission’s work. If this annoying plague accomplishes anything, maybe it’ll serve as a reminder that preserving history begins with actually making an effort to know it. I hope this leaves Muncie’s official commission with no chance but to revise its story- again.
For what it’s worth, Delaware County at large is home to one more schoolhouse on the National Register of Historic Places, Hamilton County’s Williamson school. Read about it here.
Sources Cited
1 Survey Number 035-441-45225 (1985). IHSSI (County Survey). SHAARD. Indiana Department of Natural Resources [Indianapolis]. Web. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
2 Delaware County Public Schools. (1919). School directory, Delaware County public schools, Delaware County, Indiana 1919-1920. Muncie, IN.
3 Satterfield, Ed. (1992, September 6). African Americans have long history in religious community. The Muncie Star. p. 5D.
4 National Register of Historic Places, Shaffer Chapel A.M.E. Church, Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana, National Register # 100011477.
5 Shaffer Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (n.d.). Find a Marker. Indiana Historical Bureau [Indianapolis]. Web. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
6 Bio (n.d.). Muncie Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation Commission [Muncie]. Facebook. Web. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
Oh, my gosh. How embarrassing for them.
It’s pretty bad.
[insert face-palm gif here]
You took the emoji right out of my mouth!