Post by David Sechrest on Jan 21, 2014 11:53:35 GMT -5
A History of the Bartholomew County Annex Building (State Street School), © 2014, David Sechrest
One of the earliest schools in East Columbus was situated at the northwest corner of what, today, we call State Street and Gladstone Avenue. At the time of this writing, I do not know when that school was built. The school’s location does appear on a plat map as early as 1879. Fire destroyed the school in 1905, and land was purchased at the southwest corner of State and Pence Streets for the purpose of building a new East Columbus School. According to “The History of Bartholomew County, Volume II” book, the new, two-story, East Columbus school opened in 1905. The architect was Elmer Dunlap. The school was built by the Columbus, Indiana contracting firm of Hege and Company.
Of all the reports issued, the most damning was received by Columbus Township Trustee, Charles H. Williamson. Mr. Hussey called conditions at the East Columbus School deplorable. The school was severely overcrowded, and most alarming was the disgraceful, wretched conditions of the outside toilets. Elementary classes (grades 1 through 3) were being conducted in the basement, and neither ceiling height nor lighting conditions were acceptable, in Mr. Hussey’s opinion. School enrollment was 400 children, with 375 attending school on a regular basis.
Mr. Hussey proposed two major recommendations:
1) Remove the first through third grades from the basement;
2) Hire an architect and build a new structure that would adequately provide for present and future needs. (as well as providing indoor toilets)
Other suggestions were also offered, such as improving the janitor area, a thorough washing of the windows, the installation of an adequate lighting system, and repairing the floors and stairways.
Mr. Hussey’s report did not sit well with ex-township trustee, Charles J. Schowe. Schowe called Hussey’s rapping greatly exaggerated. Under Schowe’s watch in 1926, $850 had been spent on finishing all interior walls and the varnishing of the woodwork and desks. In addition, $159.89 was spent to upgrade the lighting system.
“Neglect on the part of school officials is not to be held responsible for conditions related in the state report,” he said.* If anything was deplorable, Schowe felt, it was the condition of the school yard: it badly needed gravel, as none had ever been provided for the school yard during the entire 23 years the school had been in operation.
Mr. Hussey’s findings, however, were not unexpected by current township trustee, Charles H. Williamson, and advisory board members O. B. Anderson, Edward S. Franke, Frank Tellman, and R. J. Stillwell. The men agreed with Hussey that something had to be done.
“The present school building is not in the best of shape,” O. B. Anderson declared, “but neither is it in as bad condition as Mr. Hussey’s report might indicate.”** Anderson agreed that the lighting in the basement was not sufficient, and highly agreed on the need for indoor toilets. All men noted there was a great need for more space, as the school was terribly overcrowded. However, both Anderson and Franke felt at the time that a new school building was not necessary.
While the men involved themselves with the overcrowding and deplorable conditions at the East Columbus School, another topic of great interest would soon come to light: annexation of East Columbus.
It began, simple enough, on March 9, 1928, with Judge Julian Sharpnack's urging of the incorporation of East Columbus at a meeting of the Men’s Brotherhood of the East Columbus Christian Church. “East Columbus is the largest unincorporated community in the State, and it is lacking in proper fire and police protection,”*** Sharpnack told the audience. He stressed that East Columbus needed some type of governing body.
Amid the East Columbus School situation, and talk of incorporation, one week after Sharpnack’s urgings, on March 17, 1928, an unidentified “committee” proposed the consolidation of schools in Columbus Township. The proposal outlined closing up the six, one-room schools located throughout Columbus Township, and transporting the kids to one centralized school where all educational activities could be centrally located. The men felt that consolidating the schools was the most logical answer, and would also solve the East Columbus school problem in one stroke. Their proposal also called for a remodeling of the East Columbus School, and, the building of a new school building.
Working in secrecy, township trustee Charles H. Williamson and the advisory board were busy exploring the East Columbus School matter in greater detail. Norman Hill, Indianapolis architect, had been selected for the courthouse remodel. In March, 1928, Williamson tentatively acquired Mr. Hill’s services for the purpose of examining the situation regarding the East Columbus School. On March 23rd, Williamson officially announced that he and the board members were working with Hill in order to come up with a plan of action. Hill, Williamson, and the advisory board conducted an inspection of the East Columbus School that same day, and found the building severely lacking in many respects. First and foremost, the outside toilets. The outside toilets were noted as being “bitterly condemned.” In addition, the floors inside the school were simply worn out, so much so, they were deemed unsafe. The stairways weren’t in much better shape, either.
Through further investigation, the men also discovered another problem: the needs of children with intellectual disabilities. These children were forced to attend classes with other kids their age, and proper care and attention could not be given them. A new building would solve a myriad of problems. Indoor toilets could be put in the basement of the new building. A new building could also provide enough space for the proper teaching of children afflicted with intellectual disabilities.
Norman Hill was no stranger to Columbus. Not only was Mr. Hill chosen as architect for the 1928 courthouse remodel, but also for the Central school gymnasium (1923), and the Wilson School building (1923) on the Central School campus (Hill was, also, architect for a Central Christian Church structure, Indianapolis (1920); the Ohio Theatre, Indianapolis (1919); and a library in Paoli (1915-1917).
As the men worked toward a solution regarding the East Columbus School, on March 23, 1928, the Columbus City Council took under consideration the annexation of East Columbus. Mayor Cassius B. Cooper announced the annexation plan, asking for input from the public. It was firmly expressed that any action by city council members would be guided by the desires of both Columbus and East Columbus residents.
Five days later, East Columbus residents gave their answer: a separate incorporation of East Columbus was announced. Funds were collected to retain attorney, T. Conner. In a meeting at the East Columbus School the evening of March 28, 1928, Edward F. Franke was chosen chairman of the group, with Augustus M. Remy, treasurer, and Raymond Bray, secretary. An executive committee was chosen. Members were Henry O. Boeschen, Edward J. Enochs, Joseph W. Gatten and Marion U. Snyder.
The meeting was filled with outbursts, raw emotion, and great confusion. One woman who tried to speak in favor of annexation was forcibly pulled down and kept from speaking. Vocal dissention broke out, only confusing the meeting even more than it already was. In essence, the annexation announcement had opened up a huge can of worms, and showed what East Columbus residents truly thought of the matter.
Things did not improve in the coming days. Charges of unfair tactics were leveled against those in charge of petitioning East Columbus residents. Canvassers only confused residents more so. Some that favored annexation were put on the list as opposing it. Canvassers attempted to talk people out of pro-annexation feelings, and in some instances, told pro-annexationists that no one was signing for annexation, and that if a person was on the side of annexation, he would lose his friends.
By April 12, 1928, more than 300 East Columbus residents had signed the petition against annexation. Petitions were to be handed to the Columbus City Council, April 16. As you can imagine, this only complicated everything dealing with the East Columbus School problem.
Regarding the situation with the school, on April 12, Edward F. Franke said, “We didn’t do anything last night. We are going to wait until Monday to see what the City Council does.”****
The men had come up with a solution, but made no announcement because of the annexation situation. If Columbus were to annex East Columbus, it could possibly relieve the township’s responsibility of the school. So, the Columbus township trustee and advisory board kept quiet and waited things out.
It didn’t take long before they got their answer. Four days later, Monday, April 16, 1928, the Columbus City Council voted against the annexation of East Columbus by a unanimous vote. East Columbus would continue to remain independent. Of the 710 registered voters in East Columbus, 632 voted in favor of keeping things the way they were, with 78 residents voting for annexation.
Five days later, April 21, 1928, a new East Columbus school building was approved by the trustee and board. A bond of $36,500 was issued for the erection of a new school building and the remodeling of the existing building. A new building would be built to the east and in close proximity to the existing school. It would house four classrooms for first and second grades. The outdoor toilets would be removed, and indoor toilets put in both the new and existing structures. New floors, stairways, and lighting would also be incorporated into the existing building.
Work on the new East Columbus school building began immediately. Robert T. Hill was selected as general contractor, and by August, 1928, the second story exterior work was completed. It was hoped that the building would be open by October. Classrooms had been temporarily expanded, and included a make-shift classroom set up in a tool shed behind the existing structure. It was highly probably that there was to be a larger influx of students for the coming school year, as the County had abandoned both the Lowell School and the Waynesville School. Plans were being discussed to transport the Lowell children to the East Columbus School. The outdoor toilets had been removed, and by August, new indoor toilets were in operation in the basement of the existing building. The indoor toilets only added to the overcrowding, thus the need of the tool shed to act as a classroom. All remodeling work on the existing building was finished, and it was ready for the September 10 school opening. The entire workforce could now be put on the new building, and were, with a sense of urgency to get it done as quickly as possible.
Shortly before 9 a.m., Wednesday, October 10, 1928, Abraham Moreton, William Jewell, and George Miller climbed up the steep roof of the school building under construction. Their job was to lay shingles. One of the men nailed a toe-board to the roof, and the three men began their work. Without warning, a cleat holding one end of the toe-board gave way under the pressure of their weight. All three men were thrown backwards, tumbling helplessly down the roof and over the edge. They landed on a pile of broken concrete, timbers, and chunks of hard clay below. Ambulances were immediately dispatched, and took the men to the hospital. Abraham Moreton died an hour and a half later. William Jewell died at 11:14 a.m. George Miller survived the terrible fall. He said he knew he was going off the edge of the roof, and did his utmost to get his body in an upright position during the fall so he could land feet first. He turned his body in mid-air, and was lucky enough to hit the ground feet first. He had numerous cuts, bruises, and broken bones, but was alive. The other two men weren’t as lucky, however, falling headfirst into the pile of rubble below.
It was determined that whichever man drove the nail into the cleat holding the toe-board had missed the 2 x 6 rafter by a quarter of an inch. It was the worst accident to occur in Columbus in 25 years. Two other men had lost their lives while performing construction work since Spring. One man was fatally injured during the rebuilding of the Seventh Street bridge over the Haw Creek, and another man was killed while working on the Courthouse remodel.
Work on the new East Columbus school resumed shortly after the accident. All work was halted the following day so the men could attend the funerals of Abraham Moreton and William Jewell.
Most of the work on the new East Columbus School building was completed shortly before Christmas break, 1928. The new building was opened for business when the school year resumed in January, 1929.
In 1937, there was a new addition added to the south end of the building, providing more classrooms, a kitchen, and a combination stage/lunchroom/gymnasium area. Due to overcrowding, during the 1940s, the gym area was used for classrooms.
With the unannounced annexation of East Columbus in 1946, both school buildings became known as State Street School. The older building housed 4th through 6th graders, and the newer building, 1st through 3rd grade children.
I attended State Street School for 5 ½ years (September, 1958 – December, 1963). Orris Manley was Principal during my time there. I have many fond (and some, not so fond) memories of State Street School. I remember the time (I don’t remember what year) that the cafeteria/gymnasium was converted into a make-shift dentist office. Every kid in school got their teeth cleaned. Every teacher I had at State Street School was extremely dedicated to their profession. The teachers I remember with great fondness are Miss Thompson (2nd grade) and Mrs. Fulp (3rd grade and 6th grade).
Years after my time there, in 1973, the Fodrea School opened. The old State Street School building was demolished, and the 1928 building became the Bartholomew County Annex building. It has been used in that capacity since.
I understand the need for a new County Annex building. I also understand the limitations of the current building. I wish I could offer up some great and wonderful historical significance as to why the building should be saved. I had hoped to discover it was designed by some famous architect of the day, or some other historic circumstance that might play in favor of keeping it. But all I can come up with, is this:
It is an important reminder of East Columbus heritage. It is the only remaining school building in East Columbus that links to our early, educational heritage. The city of Columbus has several: the old McKinley and Lincoln schools come to mind. But, East Columbus only has one. For the sake of preserving our history, I urge you to reconsider any plans you may have for demolishing it.
David Sechrest
Historic Columbus Indiana
January 20, 2014
*The Evening Republican, January 27, 1928, p. 1
**Ibid
***The Evening Republican, March 10, 1928, p. 1
****The Evening Republican, April 12, 1928, p.1
One of the earliest schools in East Columbus was situated at the northwest corner of what, today, we call State Street and Gladstone Avenue. At the time of this writing, I do not know when that school was built. The school’s location does appear on a plat map as early as 1879. Fire destroyed the school in 1905, and land was purchased at the southwest corner of State and Pence Streets for the purpose of building a new East Columbus School. According to “The History of Bartholomew County, Volume II” book, the new, two-story, East Columbus school opened in 1905. The architect was Elmer Dunlap. The school was built by the Columbus, Indiana contracting firm of Hege and Company.
The above picture shows both East Columbus schools: the building on the right opened in 1905. The building on the left opened for classes, January, 1929.
On January 3, 1928, John S. Hussey, State School Inspector, came to Bartholomew County, and performed a walk through of some, if not all, of the township schools. Mr. Hussey’s reports were received by the township trustees, Thursday, January 26, 1928. For the Taylorsville and Clifford schools, extensive recommendations were made, but conditions at the Clifford school were, in his opinion, generally good. The Clay Township School in Petersville was found to be in good condition, although Mr. Hussey recommended a telephone be installed. The Haw Creek Central School, and the schools at Newbern, St. Louis Crossing, and Hartsville were all commended for cleanliness, organization, and student morale (at the Petersville school, he recommended that the picture of Abraham Lincoln be framed).Of all the reports issued, the most damning was received by Columbus Township Trustee, Charles H. Williamson. Mr. Hussey called conditions at the East Columbus School deplorable. The school was severely overcrowded, and most alarming was the disgraceful, wretched conditions of the outside toilets. Elementary classes (grades 1 through 3) were being conducted in the basement, and neither ceiling height nor lighting conditions were acceptable, in Mr. Hussey’s opinion. School enrollment was 400 children, with 375 attending school on a regular basis.
Mr. Hussey proposed two major recommendations:
1) Remove the first through third grades from the basement;
2) Hire an architect and build a new structure that would adequately provide for present and future needs. (as well as providing indoor toilets)
Other suggestions were also offered, such as improving the janitor area, a thorough washing of the windows, the installation of an adequate lighting system, and repairing the floors and stairways.
Mr. Hussey’s report did not sit well with ex-township trustee, Charles J. Schowe. Schowe called Hussey’s rapping greatly exaggerated. Under Schowe’s watch in 1926, $850 had been spent on finishing all interior walls and the varnishing of the woodwork and desks. In addition, $159.89 was spent to upgrade the lighting system.
“Neglect on the part of school officials is not to be held responsible for conditions related in the state report,” he said.* If anything was deplorable, Schowe felt, it was the condition of the school yard: it badly needed gravel, as none had ever been provided for the school yard during the entire 23 years the school had been in operation.
Mr. Hussey’s findings, however, were not unexpected by current township trustee, Charles H. Williamson, and advisory board members O. B. Anderson, Edward S. Franke, Frank Tellman, and R. J. Stillwell. The men agreed with Hussey that something had to be done.
“The present school building is not in the best of shape,” O. B. Anderson declared, “but neither is it in as bad condition as Mr. Hussey’s report might indicate.”** Anderson agreed that the lighting in the basement was not sufficient, and highly agreed on the need for indoor toilets. All men noted there was a great need for more space, as the school was terribly overcrowded. However, both Anderson and Franke felt at the time that a new school building was not necessary.
While the men involved themselves with the overcrowding and deplorable conditions at the East Columbus School, another topic of great interest would soon come to light: annexation of East Columbus.
It began, simple enough, on March 9, 1928, with Judge Julian Sharpnack's urging of the incorporation of East Columbus at a meeting of the Men’s Brotherhood of the East Columbus Christian Church. “East Columbus is the largest unincorporated community in the State, and it is lacking in proper fire and police protection,”*** Sharpnack told the audience. He stressed that East Columbus needed some type of governing body.
Amid the East Columbus School situation, and talk of incorporation, one week after Sharpnack’s urgings, on March 17, 1928, an unidentified “committee” proposed the consolidation of schools in Columbus Township. The proposal outlined closing up the six, one-room schools located throughout Columbus Township, and transporting the kids to one centralized school where all educational activities could be centrally located. The men felt that consolidating the schools was the most logical answer, and would also solve the East Columbus school problem in one stroke. Their proposal also called for a remodeling of the East Columbus School, and, the building of a new school building.
Working in secrecy, township trustee Charles H. Williamson and the advisory board were busy exploring the East Columbus School matter in greater detail. Norman Hill, Indianapolis architect, had been selected for the courthouse remodel. In March, 1928, Williamson tentatively acquired Mr. Hill’s services for the purpose of examining the situation regarding the East Columbus School. On March 23rd, Williamson officially announced that he and the board members were working with Hill in order to come up with a plan of action. Hill, Williamson, and the advisory board conducted an inspection of the East Columbus School that same day, and found the building severely lacking in many respects. First and foremost, the outside toilets. The outside toilets were noted as being “bitterly condemned.” In addition, the floors inside the school were simply worn out, so much so, they were deemed unsafe. The stairways weren’t in much better shape, either.
Through further investigation, the men also discovered another problem: the needs of children with intellectual disabilities. These children were forced to attend classes with other kids their age, and proper care and attention could not be given them. A new building would solve a myriad of problems. Indoor toilets could be put in the basement of the new building. A new building could also provide enough space for the proper teaching of children afflicted with intellectual disabilities.
Norman Hill was no stranger to Columbus. Not only was Mr. Hill chosen as architect for the 1928 courthouse remodel, but also for the Central school gymnasium (1923), and the Wilson School building (1923) on the Central School campus (Hill was, also, architect for a Central Christian Church structure, Indianapolis (1920); the Ohio Theatre, Indianapolis (1919); and a library in Paoli (1915-1917).
As the men worked toward a solution regarding the East Columbus School, on March 23, 1928, the Columbus City Council took under consideration the annexation of East Columbus. Mayor Cassius B. Cooper announced the annexation plan, asking for input from the public. It was firmly expressed that any action by city council members would be guided by the desires of both Columbus and East Columbus residents.
Five days later, East Columbus residents gave their answer: a separate incorporation of East Columbus was announced. Funds were collected to retain attorney, T. Conner. In a meeting at the East Columbus School the evening of March 28, 1928, Edward F. Franke was chosen chairman of the group, with Augustus M. Remy, treasurer, and Raymond Bray, secretary. An executive committee was chosen. Members were Henry O. Boeschen, Edward J. Enochs, Joseph W. Gatten and Marion U. Snyder.
The meeting was filled with outbursts, raw emotion, and great confusion. One woman who tried to speak in favor of annexation was forcibly pulled down and kept from speaking. Vocal dissention broke out, only confusing the meeting even more than it already was. In essence, the annexation announcement had opened up a huge can of worms, and showed what East Columbus residents truly thought of the matter.
Things did not improve in the coming days. Charges of unfair tactics were leveled against those in charge of petitioning East Columbus residents. Canvassers only confused residents more so. Some that favored annexation were put on the list as opposing it. Canvassers attempted to talk people out of pro-annexation feelings, and in some instances, told pro-annexationists that no one was signing for annexation, and that if a person was on the side of annexation, he would lose his friends.
By April 12, 1928, more than 300 East Columbus residents had signed the petition against annexation. Petitions were to be handed to the Columbus City Council, April 16. As you can imagine, this only complicated everything dealing with the East Columbus School problem.
Regarding the situation with the school, on April 12, Edward F. Franke said, “We didn’t do anything last night. We are going to wait until Monday to see what the City Council does.”****
The men had come up with a solution, but made no announcement because of the annexation situation. If Columbus were to annex East Columbus, it could possibly relieve the township’s responsibility of the school. So, the Columbus township trustee and advisory board kept quiet and waited things out.
It didn’t take long before they got their answer. Four days later, Monday, April 16, 1928, the Columbus City Council voted against the annexation of East Columbus by a unanimous vote. East Columbus would continue to remain independent. Of the 710 registered voters in East Columbus, 632 voted in favor of keeping things the way they were, with 78 residents voting for annexation.
Five days later, April 21, 1928, a new East Columbus school building was approved by the trustee and board. A bond of $36,500 was issued for the erection of a new school building and the remodeling of the existing building. A new building would be built to the east and in close proximity to the existing school. It would house four classrooms for first and second grades. The outdoor toilets would be removed, and indoor toilets put in both the new and existing structures. New floors, stairways, and lighting would also be incorporated into the existing building.
Work on the new East Columbus school building began immediately. Robert T. Hill was selected as general contractor, and by August, 1928, the second story exterior work was completed. It was hoped that the building would be open by October. Classrooms had been temporarily expanded, and included a make-shift classroom set up in a tool shed behind the existing structure. It was highly probably that there was to be a larger influx of students for the coming school year, as the County had abandoned both the Lowell School and the Waynesville School. Plans were being discussed to transport the Lowell children to the East Columbus School. The outdoor toilets had been removed, and by August, new indoor toilets were in operation in the basement of the existing building. The indoor toilets only added to the overcrowding, thus the need of the tool shed to act as a classroom. All remodeling work on the existing building was finished, and it was ready for the September 10 school opening. The entire workforce could now be put on the new building, and were, with a sense of urgency to get it done as quickly as possible.
Shortly before 9 a.m., Wednesday, October 10, 1928, Abraham Moreton, William Jewell, and George Miller climbed up the steep roof of the school building under construction. Their job was to lay shingles. One of the men nailed a toe-board to the roof, and the three men began their work. Without warning, a cleat holding one end of the toe-board gave way under the pressure of their weight. All three men were thrown backwards, tumbling helplessly down the roof and over the edge. They landed on a pile of broken concrete, timbers, and chunks of hard clay below. Ambulances were immediately dispatched, and took the men to the hospital. Abraham Moreton died an hour and a half later. William Jewell died at 11:14 a.m. George Miller survived the terrible fall. He said he knew he was going off the edge of the roof, and did his utmost to get his body in an upright position during the fall so he could land feet first. He turned his body in mid-air, and was lucky enough to hit the ground feet first. He had numerous cuts, bruises, and broken bones, but was alive. The other two men weren’t as lucky, however, falling headfirst into the pile of rubble below.
It was determined that whichever man drove the nail into the cleat holding the toe-board had missed the 2 x 6 rafter by a quarter of an inch. It was the worst accident to occur in Columbus in 25 years. Two other men had lost their lives while performing construction work since Spring. One man was fatally injured during the rebuilding of the Seventh Street bridge over the Haw Creek, and another man was killed while working on the Courthouse remodel.
Work on the new East Columbus school resumed shortly after the accident. All work was halted the following day so the men could attend the funerals of Abraham Moreton and William Jewell.
Most of the work on the new East Columbus School building was completed shortly before Christmas break, 1928. The new building was opened for business when the school year resumed in January, 1929.
In 1937, there was a new addition added to the south end of the building, providing more classrooms, a kitchen, and a combination stage/lunchroom/gymnasium area. Due to overcrowding, during the 1940s, the gym area was used for classrooms.
With the unannounced annexation of East Columbus in 1946, both school buildings became known as State Street School. The older building housed 4th through 6th graders, and the newer building, 1st through 3rd grade children.
I attended State Street School for 5 ½ years (September, 1958 – December, 1963). Orris Manley was Principal during my time there. I have many fond (and some, not so fond) memories of State Street School. I remember the time (I don’t remember what year) that the cafeteria/gymnasium was converted into a make-shift dentist office. Every kid in school got their teeth cleaned. Every teacher I had at State Street School was extremely dedicated to their profession. The teachers I remember with great fondness are Miss Thompson (2nd grade) and Mrs. Fulp (3rd grade and 6th grade).
Years after my time there, in 1973, the Fodrea School opened. The old State Street School building was demolished, and the 1928 building became the Bartholomew County Annex building. It has been used in that capacity since.
I understand the need for a new County Annex building. I also understand the limitations of the current building. I wish I could offer up some great and wonderful historical significance as to why the building should be saved. I had hoped to discover it was designed by some famous architect of the day, or some other historic circumstance that might play in favor of keeping it. But all I can come up with, is this:
It is an important reminder of East Columbus heritage. It is the only remaining school building in East Columbus that links to our early, educational heritage. The city of Columbus has several: the old McKinley and Lincoln schools come to mind. But, East Columbus only has one. For the sake of preserving our history, I urge you to reconsider any plans you may have for demolishing it.
David Sechrest
Historic Columbus Indiana
January 20, 2014
*The Evening Republican, January 27, 1928, p. 1
**Ibid
***The Evening Republican, March 10, 1928, p. 1
****The Evening Republican, April 12, 1928, p.1