Barr

In 1905, Jackson Township’s District 4: Barr schoolhouse was situated on 10 acres owned by the Barnhart family. Across the road -now known as South County Road 300-East- sat eighty-three acres owned by C.W. and A.L. Barr (Hixson, 1905). It’s likely that a previous District 4 school, probably frame, sat on their land, given its common name. It’s also possible that the Barrs owned the Barnhart’s land on the southwest corner when the schoolhouse was first established.

The extant Barr School was probably built in the 1890s, when schoolhouse design generally shifted from featuring nothing but a classroom to incorporating a central entrance flanked by cloakrooms that led into the classroom, giving those schoolhouses a T-shaped layout.

Under the direction of teacher Luther Glancy, the Barr schoolhouse led Blackford County’s rural schools during December, 1931 with a record of 99.44% (Shooting, 1931).

The school appears to have closed at some point prior to 1936, when the first reunion of the “old” Barr schoolhouse was held at Hartford City’s Hoover Park (Reunion, 1936).

After its closure, the Barr schoolhouse was purchased by James Mannix and moved one half-mile north of its original location in order to be remodeled into a “modern farm house (Hartford, 1942).” Today, the schoolhouse -still a home- sits with its original front facing away the road. It has been expanded to the north and south. Dormers have been added to provide light for a second story.

References

Hixson, W.W. (1905). Blackford County, Ind. map. Map Collection, Indiana Division, Indiana State Library. 

Shooting of Well Delayed (1931, January 20). The Muncie Star. p. 4.

Reunion Officers Named (1936, September 8). The Muncie Star. p. 3.

Hartford City (1942, September 4). The Muncie Evening Press. p. 2.