In the early years of Monroe County there were many different communities spread throughout the county. One such community that has been lost was Blanche. The Blanche community was a small gathering of saw mills, stores, and even a post office that would be located just due south of the existing Garrison Chapel Church located on Garrison Chapel Road in Bloomington. The Blanche post office #3055 was established on June 23, 1884 and discontinued on March 31, 1908.

The Monroe County Library located in Bloomington, Indiana specifies that Thomas Gwin, minister, gave land in Section 5 of Van Buren Township for a log school-house to be built on March 1, 1838. (Source: Mabel Pafford Hornocker, A Century of Development Van Buren Township (Bloomington: Van Buren Farm Bureau, 1940)

A blowup of the original belfry that was on the Rice school-house in 1920.  The original full size photograph was provided by Clara (Keller) Wyrick in the book Echos From One-Room Schools: Monroe County.

A blowup of the original entrance detailing that was on the Rice school-house in 1888-1889.  The original full size photograph was provided by Martha Street in the book Echos From One-Room Schools: Monroe County.

There’s a wealth of information about these schools from local accounts in the Monroe County community and was helpful in accurately drawing the structure for everyone to see.  Without this reference, my drawings below would have not been correct, I thank everyone that participated in the creation of that publication.  This book can be purchased online through this link to Amazon.com.

In approximately 1858-1859 a framed school building was erected on Thomas Gwin’s former site, the reason for the switch from the log framed structure to a wood stick framed structure isn’t given. The Rice School-house was originally constructed by Stephen Coan that was awarded the contract on June 11, 1859.

In 1884 a book was published by F.A. Battey & Co. publishers out of Chicago, Illinois that recorded on 1880 school-house #6 in Van Buren Township was a single room school-house that measured 22×28 feet, enrolled 51 pupils, and was taught by J.W.D. Butcher. (Source: Counties of Morgan, Monroe & Brown: Historical and Biographical 1884 Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers Charles Blanchard, Editor).

In 1887, a group met for the first time at a placed called “Rice School” to worship forming the Garrison Chapel United Methodist Church. (Source: Ada Wilson, “Church History,” Garrison Chapel: A Church History, January 1, 1982, 1.)

On March 17, 1952, the Rice school-house was completely destroyed by fire from the newspaper clipping. It is unknown the reason, but the coal-burning stove or electrical wiring may have been responsible.

The floor plan of the Rice one-room school house located in Van Buren township of Monroe County, Indiana.  The fireplace was omitted from the rear as there’s no reference to the actual size only the chimney flue.

The framing plan of the Rice one-room school house located in Van Buren township of Monroe County, Indiana.  The roof framing is shown on the right while the floor framing is shown on the left.

The exterior elevations of the Rice one-room school house as of 1888 located in Van Buren township of Monroe County, Indiana.