I’m normally pretty good at researching old common schoolhouses, but those operated by religious organizations tend to stymie me. Their histories rarely show up in the records I rely on, and the paper trail often fades fast. That was the case with the old New Garden Academy a mile south of Fountain City! I spun my wheels for a while before an unexpected breakthrough in the form of an obscure book tucked away in my mom’s office.
Quaker worship took root in Wayne County remarkably early in Indiana’s settlement. Families migrating west from the Carolinas established the Whitewater Monthly Meeting in 1809, and Friends were already gathering at New Garden in 18111. The New Garden Monthly Meeting was formally set off on March 18, 1815, and its first sessions were held in a humble log cabin2. The meeting erected a modest frame meetinghouse three years later, only to outgrow it again. In 1858, Friends replaced that structure with a brick building, one that still stands today3.
That’s about all I knew about the old New Garden schoolhouse until I texted my mom for help. She told me to check the Quaker books she had in her office. “Face the bookcases,” she said, “and they’re on the bottom right shelf. Maybe in a crate.”
That day, I learned that my mom has a crate of Quaker history books! I did what she told and found Our Special Heritage, a book written to celebrate the Sesquicentennial of the Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends in 1970. Among many things, it listed all of the then-current and shuttered Quaker churches that belonged to the meeting. It also featured brief histories of its schools. I’d hit the jackpot!
Here’s what I learned about New Garden. A mile north, Fountain City was known as Newport until 1878. There, Quakers began teaching children around 18254. They held classes in a succession of small school buildings, but enrollment swelled as word of the quality Quaker education spread. Students started coming from miles away, with some even boarding in the community to attend class5! The old arrangements could no longer keep up, and Friends settled on a more permanent solution. In 1866, they built a two-room schoolhouse at New Garden to meet the demand6.
Known as the New Garden Academy7, the school quickly earned a reputation that reached far beyond the local community. Its strong academics and emphasis on moral character continued to draw students from across the region8! Public funds were helping to support the academy by 1874, but the momentum didn’t last: within a decade, the school had closed its doors9 and its students were sent to facilities operated by New Garden Township. After that, the old New Garden Academy was remodeled as a community center10. Some say half of the structure was demolished11. Later yet, it was renovated to serve as a parsonage for the meetinghouse next door12.
New Garden Meeting closed its doors in 2008 after nearly two centuries in operation13. Today, the meetinghouse is maintained as an event space, while the old Academy is a four-bedroom guest house. I stayed there in 2021, and although the tragic triple tombstone in the nearby graveyard was a little creepy, the school was a cozy place to spend the weekend.
For a long time, the story of the old New Garden Academy was frustratingly out of my reach. Thanks to a forgotten book and a little family sleuthing, though, that silence finally gave way to a fuller story! The New Garden Academy’s life was brief, but its impact stretched far beyond its wall. Today, as the former meetinghouse and school take on new roles, they remain reminders that even when institutions close and records fade, traces of learning, faith, and community endure.
Sources Cited
1 Short, S. (1968, September 21). New Garden Friends Church Has Inspired Several Artists. The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 6.
2 “Where Plain & Simple Becomes Just Plain Beautiful” (n.d.). The Historic Meeting House At New Garden. Web. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
3 (See footnote 2).
4 Ratliff, R. P. (1970). Our Special Heritage. The Sesquicentennial Publication of Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends. Community Printing Company [New Castle]. Book.
5 (See footnote 4).
6 (See footnote 4).
7 City and Wayne County (1875, February 5). The Richmond Independent Telegram. p. 3.
8 (See footnote 4).
9 History of Wayne County, Indiana, Volume II (1884). Inter-State Publishing Company [Chicago].
10 County Rural Club Federation Meeting Date Set (1932, August 13). The Richmond Palladium. p. 4.
11 Tales of Pioneer Days To Be Told At Meeting House (1911, November 26). The Richmond Palladium. Pp. 1-2.
12 Friends to tour area meetinghouses (1986, December 6). The Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 16.
13 History of Fountain City (n.d.). Fountain City Forward [Fountain City]. Web. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
Wow, 1825 is indeed remarkably early for an educational establishment in Indiana!
Absolutely! Wayne County was an early bird.
Ugh, the modern addition to the Academy is a wretched mismatch. Does it house the kitchen and bathroom required to rent the building as a temporary residence?
The sided part was originally a garage, I think. It was added when the academy was turned into a parsonage. Now it’s two bedrooms. I slept in one when I stayed there.
The rest of the house was interesting. There was an old kitchen and entryway along the long side of the building. It was being used for storage. The ‘new’ kitchen is elsewhere in the original building, along with a dining room, living room, and two bedrooms. Also a bath.
I grew up in North Carolina and graduated from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. Guilford is a Quaker school. Across the road from the College is the New Garden Friends Meeting. I also went to the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, IN and spent a total of seven years in Indiana, as a student at ESR and a spouse of a student. Loved my Hoosier days.
Great memories!
I grew up attending the meetinghouse. I was married there in 2001. My parents are both buried in the cemetery across the road.
It’s a real landmark!