Madison County was home to three schoolhouses commonly known as “College Corner” in Duck Creek, Richfield, and Boone Townships. Their shared names make it difficult to find a lot of information that pertains to the Boone Township’s, which was the District 8 schoolhouse there.
Continue reading “Boone Township’s College Corner schoolhouse in Madison County”
Delaware County’s original Hamilton Township District 4 schoolhouse was built sometime between 1874 and 1881 on a triangular plot of land owned by Adam Williamson. The plot is now bounded by East County Road 400-N, North County Road 200-E, and Indiana State Road 67. Locals soon referred to the building by Williamson’s name1, and the old Pleasant Grove Church was built nearby shortly afterwards2.
Continue reading “Hamilton Township’s Williamson schoolhouse in Delaware County”
Harrison Township’s old District 3 schoolhouse, known as Blackford, sits three miles east of Montpelier on Highway 18. It likely took its name from the county whose students it served which was named for John Blackford, a state speaker of the house and Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. The extant brick structure was built around 1900. In 1905, it sat on the land of S.S. Norton1.
Continue reading “Harrison Township’s Blackford schoolhouse in Blackford County”
John W. Vincent entered into section 27 of Delaware County in 18361. It’s unclear when the first schoolhouse on his land was built, but it was probably prior to the state passing a law providing resources for a free, common school system in 18522.
Continue reading “Niles Township’s Oak Grove schoolhouse in Delaware County”
Little is known about Harrison Township’s District 3 schoolhouse. There was no school in the area in 1874 and there weren’t any close by. Perhaps that’ wa’s because Harrison Township has never had any significant communities aside from the hamlet of Bethel1.
Continue reading “Harrison Township’s Brady schoolhouse in Delaware County”
Jackson Township’s White Oak schoolhouse sits on sixty-four wooded acres just east of the Loblolly Marsh Wetland Preserve. “There’s a very good reason why you can’t come upon the school as you drive along,” a reporter for the Portland Commercial Review wrote in 1968. “It is located near a road which was abandoned about a decade ago. You can see it by car, with the aid of binoculars, from County Road 99 between County Roads 16 and 20 in Jackson Township1” Now that we’re firmly into the 21st century, a drone works too.
Continue reading “Jackson Township’s White Oak schoolhouse in Jay County”
Stony Creek Township’s District 9 schoolhouse was commonly known as Fodrea after the family who originally donated its land sometime around 18651. In 1874, it was situated on property owned by the heirs of Elisha Garrett in 18742, as it was in 18823.
Continue reading “Stoney Creek Township’s Fodrea schoolhouse in Randolph County”
The town of Clarksville was laid out in 1849. The first schoolhouse in the area, known as Swamp College, stood about 3/4 of a mile west of the settlement and operated under the subscription model until 18541. The first school in Clarksville proper was built in 1867 as a graded school under the direction of a board consisting of Dr. P.P. Whitesell, D.D. Taylor, and J.R. Leonard2.
Continue reading “Wayne Township’s Clarksville schoolhouse in Hamilton County”
It’s believed that Thomas Weir taught the first District 6 school. In 1855, a frame schoolhouse was built at the southwest corner of the present-day intersection of North Everett Road and West Moore Road1. It burned in 1867. A new school was built to replace it the following year2.
Continue reading “Hamilton Township’s Jake’s Creek schoolhouse in Delaware County”
Fall Creek Township’s District 6 schoolhouse stood on R.P. Kimberlin’s land at the corner of Brooks School Road and East 116th Street1 in 1866. That ground may have originally been deeded from the Brook family, as Brook’s Grove was a popular spot for school reunions a century ago. That picnic spot was situated just across the road from the schoolhouse2.
Continue reading “Fall Creek Township’s Brooks schoolhouse in Hamilton County”
Ted Shideler 