A schoolhouse serving District 3 has stood at the corner of Old Fort Wayne Road and East Lamont Road in Huntington’s Union Township since at least 1866, when it appeared just north of the Wabash & Erie Canal on land owned by the Silvers family1. The building was commonly known as Whippoorwill2.
Although the institution itself was much older and a modern sign on its basement says the Whippoorwill school was established in 1888, the idea of the extant schoolhouse goes back to 1912, when bids for a replacement were judged too high and action was deferred by the township trustee3. Although it wasn’t erected that year, it must have been shortly afterwards, probably sometime between 1915 and 19204. Designed by architect J.B. Gerhard and built by J.W. Taylor, the Whippoorwhille schoolhouse is the first I’ve encountered to feature Arts and Crafts architecture5, which emphasized handcrafted workmanship, natural materials, and designs that blend with their surroundings.
Facing south, the irregular T-shaped schoolhouse features a raised basement, stone water table & quoins, and geometric patterns of darker brick and stone around the building’s fenestration. Unfortunately, the buildings has changed significantly since its days as a school: an entry tower at its southeast corner was removed and its remnants covered with paneling, large windows were replaced by smaller ones, and the raised basement was converted to a garage6.
When, exactly, the old District 3 schoolhouse closed is a mystery to me. In 1919, Union Township dedicated a centralized Union Township High School. The $54,000 building was large enough to contain all the township’s students in case of complete centralization7. The new Whippoorwill school lasted a few more years, but appears to have been shuttered by 19238. It was certainly closed by 1925, when Union Township only operated its consolidated school and a smaller building at District 79.
The property was purchased by Clint McClure in 192710. Apparently, the building was used as part of the Whippoorwill Dairy for a time11! The old schoolhouse was converted into a home in 194612 and remains so today.
Sources Cited
1 Warner, Hayes, & Warner (1866). Map of Huntington Co. Indiana. E.B. Gerber & C.S. Warner [Ligonier]. Map.
2 2 Killed At Whippoorwill (1925, July 8). The Huntington Press. p. 1.
3 Action on Building New School Deferred (1912, May 25). The Huntington Herald. p. 10.
4 Survey Number 069-288-30007 (1981). IHSSI (County Survey). SHAARD. Indiana Department of Natural Resources [Indianapolis]. Web. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
5 (See footnote 4).
6 (See footnote 4).
7 Union High School Dedication Oct. 10 (1919, October 3). The Huntington Press. p. 1.
8 Uses Soy Beans As Silage Feed (1923, October 27). The Huntington Press. p. 8.
9 Co. School (1925, September 3). The Huntington Press. p. 6.
10 State Approves Changes in Road (1927, March 16). The Huntington Press. p. 9.
11 (See footnote 4).
12 (See footnote 4).
