Old Shadeland school gets prepped for demolition

SHADELAND, Ind. (WLFI) - A 70-year-old building will soon come down in Shadeland. Prep for the demolition of the old Shadeland school, and current rec center, begins next week.

The school was built in 1942. It's the same year Shadeland resident Harold Williams started the third grade at the building. It was a time with no heat or air conditioning.

"It was brand new when I walked in the door that year," Williams said. "In the winter time it was fairly warm, at times it got cold. We had a janitor by the name of Tubby Rosine who did a good job keeping the fires going."

Town officials say everything will be cleared out on Saturday, contractors come in on Tuesday, and noticeable demolition begins Oct. 1.

Shadeland Parks and Rec Superintendent Noel. D. Wright said he's spoken to many residents about the demolition plan.

"I've been very fortunate to have a lot of them coming through since it was announced it was being torn down," Wright said. "They were all very supportive and of course had their historical stories."

Town council members said the up keep of the old building was too much. People in Shadeland are both happy and sad to see it go.

"It's one of the reasons we moved into the community," Bethany Chapman, who lives next door to the rec center, said. "It's very spacious. We love being in the middle of nowhere, but at the same time we have a sense of community."

"It's served its purpose," Williams said. "It suffers from vandalism. It's time for it to go, and get something more modern."

The town council, which acquired the building in 2000, plans to build a new rec center, one that is more energy-efficient and handicap accessible.

"I think it's great," Chapman said. "The more people who can access the rec center the better, and the better it will be for the community overall."

It's not known when the construction will begin on the new rec center, or if the new one will be built in the same lot as the old one.