It’s hard to believe nearly a year and a half has passed since officials floated the idea of converting Muncie’s old Harrison Elementary School into apartments. Progress on the site has been slow, but the news brought back memories of the time I slipped inside the historic building to take a few photos before its next chapter -whatever that may be- finally begins.

Recently, a fellow fan posted photos of the old College Corner schoolhouse in a Facebook group we share. The images stopped me cold. College Corner had been a ruin for as long as I’ve known it, but the latest pictures showed just how far it’s slipped since my last visit a few years ago. Knowing its time is running out, I was determined to document it before the schoolhouse disappears for good.

I cruise State Road 26 in rural Grant County, Indiana, every so often. When I’m out in the area, there’s one landmark that never fails to snag my attention: an old schoolhouse-turned-home three miles south of Upland. I’ve snapped photos of several former Grant County schools over the years, but tracking down their histories has been surprisingly tricky. Still, after a little digging, I finally uncovered a little bit about the neat, tidy building I’ve been noticing for years. 

Oakville is one of those tiny hamlets that somehow refuses to blend into the landscape. For a place with just a handful of streets, it announces itself with a massive grain elevator visible from miles in every direction! A couple of old commercial buildings and a post office across the street hint at the community’s past, but Oakville once had something else, too: its very own schoolhouse.