College Corner

Though the brick College Corner schoolhouse was erected in 1884 (Jackson, 2019), an older District 4 schoolhouse, likely frame, sat on the land of J.H. Chambers at the southeast corner of College Corner Road and North County Road 100-East even earlier (Kingman, 1880).

The brick District 4 schoolhouse was one of three bearing the colloquial name of College Corner in Madison County (Jackson), and the first graded school in the entire county was taught there by W.M. Croan. The first graduation exercises were held at College Corner in 1914 (Forkner, 1914).

In 1939, Richland Township began plans to erect a consolidated township school in 1939 that would consolidate the Center, Thornburg, Wesley Chapel, Moonville, Burton, and College Corner. (Bond, 1939). This didn’t happen until 1950, though, when a new, six-room College Corner school was completed (Work, 1958). In addition to the old District 4 building, this led to the closure of the Center, Thornburg, and Burton schools, which were auctioned off two years later (Notice, 1952). It seems as though the rest of Richland Township’s schoolhouses closed at that time as well.

The modern College Corner school received an eight-classroom addition, along with a cafeteria and multipurpose room, in 1958 (Work). In 1962, the abandoned schoolhouse across the street and its grounds were owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Fish (Six, 1962). Six years later, a third addition consisting of an art room, kindergarten room, and general elementary classroom was completed (Okeh, 1967).

The modern College Corner school closed as part of the Anderson Community School District in 2005. Today, the old District 4 schoolhouse remains owned by the Fish family.

References

Jackson, S. T. (2019, March 1). What’s in a Name: The literal origin of Richland Township . The Herald Bulletin. Retrieved October 1, 2021, from https://www.heraldbulletin.com/community/what-s-in-a-name-the-literal-origin-of-richland-township/article_7a66463c-39d7-11e9-90b6-4f52c6d8b2fa.html.

Kingman Brothers. (1880). History of Madison County, Indiana with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Chicago, IL.

Forkner, J. (1914). History of Madison County Indiana. A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People and Its Principal Interests, Volume 1. book, The Lewis Publishing Company. Chicago, IL.

Bond Issue for New School was Given Approval (1939, March 11). The Alexandria Times-Tribune. p. 1.

Notice of Sale of School Property (1952, July 22). The Anderson Herald. p. 14.

Six Highland Graduates Started In Old School (1962, April 11). The Anderson Daily Bulletin. p. 4.

Okeh College Corner School $150,000 Expansion Project. (1967, July 15). The Anderson Herald. p. 1.