July 5, 2018 at 4:28 p.m.
Randolph restoration
Group works to restore one-room schoolhouse
Randolph restoration
Greg Sommer wants today’s young students to have a taste of school life a century ago.
“Our main goal is as an educational center for students to relive a day in that time period,” Sommer said this week.
At the heart of that goal is Ward Township District School No. 5 in Randolph County.
Located just east of the crossroads of Randolph and about a mile southeast of Deerfield, the one-room brick schoolhouse has been undergoing a restoration since it was donated to a non-profit group by the Sommer family in October 2014.
It’s still a work in progress, with the exterior fixes finished and the interior still in rough shape.
The public will get a chance to see what’s been done at an open house and ice cream social from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Friends of Ward Township District No. 5 have raised about $140,000 in donations for the building’s restoration so far, with significant help from grants from the Indiana Historical Society.
In 2017, the building was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
Restoration work began in earnest in fall 2015. A new metal roof was installed by Goodhew Roofing of Ridgeville that year. In 2016, the focus was on new footers and foundation work.
To help with the restoration, volunteers took down a different one-room school that was beyond repair. That provided additional bricks that could be used to replace those damaged by time.
“Our main goal is as an educational center for students to relive a day in that time period,” Sommer said this week.
At the heart of that goal is Ward Township District School No. 5 in Randolph County.
Located just east of the crossroads of Randolph and about a mile southeast of Deerfield, the one-room brick schoolhouse has been undergoing a restoration since it was donated to a non-profit group by the Sommer family in October 2014.
It’s still a work in progress, with the exterior fixes finished and the interior still in rough shape.
The public will get a chance to see what’s been done at an open house and ice cream social from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Friends of Ward Township District No. 5 have raised about $140,000 in donations for the building’s restoration so far, with significant help from grants from the Indiana Historical Society.
In 2017, the building was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
Restoration work began in earnest in fall 2015. A new metal roof was installed by Goodhew Roofing of Ridgeville that year. In 2016, the focus was on new footers and foundation work.
To help with the restoration, volunteers took down a different one-room school that was beyond repair. That provided additional bricks that could be used to replace those damaged by time.
More recently, Winchester craftsman Mick Wolfe has hand-made replacements for the school’s distinctive gothic-style windows, and doors salvaged from the demolition of a United Methodist Church in Winchester have been repurposed for the entryway.
“The inside’s still rough,” said Sommer. “That’s our next project.”
Completed in 1891 by contractor William A. Brouse, the building is of historic interest because of its connection to the first wave of school consolidation in Indiana.
Randolph County’s Lee Driver spearheaded that effort in the early part of the 20th century, consolidating more than 130 one-room schools into 18.
As a result of that consolidation Ward Township District No. 5 was only in use for 20 years. After that time it saw use by a farmer for grain storage.
Though the interior needs plenty of work, 90 percent of the original woodwork is intact, the original chalkboard hangs on one wall and one bit of woodwork in a cloak room still shows pencil marks where students’ growth was measured back in the day.
On the north wall, above the chalkboard, bits of an old stencil are still visible. The stencil’s message: “Wisdom is more precious than jewels.” On the south wall, another stencil said, “Upward and onward.”
There’s one more message left behind from the school’s earliest years: The date of the school’s completion — 1891 — is carved into a brick on the south side of the exterior.
The school is located at Randolph County roads 700 North and 100 East.
“The inside’s still rough,” said Sommer. “That’s our next project.”
Completed in 1891 by contractor William A. Brouse, the building is of historic interest because of its connection to the first wave of school consolidation in Indiana.
Randolph County’s Lee Driver spearheaded that effort in the early part of the 20th century, consolidating more than 130 one-room schools into 18.
As a result of that consolidation Ward Township District No. 5 was only in use for 20 years. After that time it saw use by a farmer for grain storage.
Though the interior needs plenty of work, 90 percent of the original woodwork is intact, the original chalkboard hangs on one wall and one bit of woodwork in a cloak room still shows pencil marks where students’ growth was measured back in the day.
On the north wall, above the chalkboard, bits of an old stencil are still visible. The stencil’s message: “Wisdom is more precious than jewels.” On the south wall, another stencil said, “Upward and onward.”
There’s one more message left behind from the school’s earliest years: The date of the school’s completion — 1891 — is carved into a brick on the south side of the exterior.
The school is located at Randolph County roads 700 North and 100 East.
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