A one-classroom schoolhouse in Gibson County is among the “10 most at-risk” buildings in the state, Indiana Landmarks announced this week.
Sollman School has been located in Snake Run, a dependent community outside of Fort Branch, since about 1875. It was once an educational center for a group of farming families and served as a community gathering place after students moved to the unified school system in 1927.
But it has since fallen into disrepair. Missing windows are scattered around the building like broken teeth. Stephanie Richard, director of the southwest field office of Indiana Landmarks, said the siding is ancient and the roof is in dire need of replacement.
“Water has probably entered the structure, but nothing has collapsed yet,” she said.
She hopes that listing will help raise funds for the necessary work. According to a press release Monday, Indiana Landmarks has highlighted 170 structures since it launched its “endangered” list in 1991. Of those, 105 have been restored or are no longer endangered, while only 20 have been demolished.
Sollman is the last one-class school in the district, the press release states.
Last year, the Gibson County Parks Department gave the green light to seek funds to move the school building to Hopkins Family Park. According to the Princeton Daily Clarion, officials hoped the building could become a stopping point for field trips and, if only for a moment, house students again.
But Eric Heidenreich, executive director of the Gibson County Tourism Board, told the Courier & Press that the cost estimates for moving the building are “significant.” The school’s basic structure must be “put back in order” and the amount needed to do that leaves the project hanging in the balance.
But at least one member of the Gibson County Commission is trying to secure American Rescue Plan funds for the project, he said.
“The good thing about being put on the endangered building list is that it brings the discussion back into the public eye,” said Heidenreich. “It’s a cool building, but it’s in pretty bad shape. So something has to happen soon, otherwise it can’t be saved.”
