Like covered bridges and round barns, one-room schoolhouses have achieved iconic status among historic buildings—reminders of seemingly simpler times when agriculture dominated Hoosier life. Though many of the schools have been lost over time, a group in Boone County organized to save one such landmark.

Boone County’s Howard School was constructed near Fayette in 1881, a time when thousands of one-room schools dotted the rural landscape. It served as a school only until 1916, when consolidation began closing one-room schools across the state. Except for use as grain storage, the brick building sat vacant for more than 80 years, slowly losing its windows, floors, and most of its roof.

In 2004, a group of residents led by William Coan formed the Howard School Restoration Group to save the local landmark. A $1,750 grant from Historic Landmarks’ Preservation Grants Fund allowed the group to hire architect Tom Meredith to prepare a plan for restoration.

A $10,000 grant from the Efroymson Family Fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation boosted the group’s fundraising success. Volunteers have been critical to the rehabilitation effort, doing everything from placing cedar shake shingles on the reconstructed roof, to installing new wood. Coan volunteered his time to prepare the school’s successful nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

There is still work to be done as the Howard School group turns its attention to interior restoration. If you are interested in volunteering or donating to the Howard School project, contact William Coan at wacoan@sbcglobal.net.

For more on Historic Landmarks’ Indiana Preservation Grants Fund, contact Mark Dollase, Vice President of Preservation Services at 317-639-4534 or mdollase@historiclandmarks.org.