Reese

Little is known about the Center Township District 7 Reese schoolhouse. Apparently, it was built in 1860³¹ on land that was owned by Lewis Reese in 1874³² but no record of him granting Center Township’s Trustee land for a schoolhouse appears to exist. The school does appear on the 1884 Griffing, Gordon & Company map as District 7. 

The schoolhouse seems have operated as an early kindergarten. In 1890, frame annexes to Muncie’s Jackson schoolhouse on Madison Street between 2nd and 3rd streets were finished³³, leading students of the Reese schoolhouse to transfer there³⁴. Afterwards, the structure became home to a number of businesses. At some point it was a gas station -the rusted, metal signpost is visible in the photo next to a concrete pad- and from 1987 through 1991 the building was home to the Rackoon’s Den antique and craft shop³⁵. 

After the businesses left, the structure reverted to being a home. In 2019, the building burnt down after a fire started in the old schoolhouse’s kitchen³⁶. By 2021, the building had been completely razed. In 2021, a modern home sat on the site of the old District 7 schoolhouse.

References

1. Delaware County Office of Information & GIS Services. (2021). Parcel ID: 1127153001000. Delaware County, Indiana Assessor. map, Muncie, IN.
2. (See footnote 25)
3. Sanborn Map Company (Ed.). (1896). Muncie. Insurance Maps of Muncie Indiana. map, New York, NY; Sanborn Map Company. 
4. New School Building. (1890, December 29). The Muncie Morning News. p. 1.
5. Profile. (2006, May 8). The Muncie Star Press. p. 4C.