NEWS
Batesville School Prepares to Start a New Chapter
Batesville Main Street is rehabbing a nearly century-old elementary school to serve as a retail incubator.
Bright Idea
Batesville residents of a certain age might still remember attending classes at Ward School, a nearly century-old elementary school at the corner of South and Sycamore streets. Though today it still evokes fond memories, the one-story structure has been largely unused for the last 30 years. Inspired by the building’s history and gateway location into downtown, Batesville Main Street is embarking on rehabilitating the school to serve as a retail incubator, hoping its reuse can spark further revitalization.
The City of Batesville showed support for the plan by donating the school to the group in October 2024, along with $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project. Indiana Landmarks is advising Batesville Main Street on the school’s reuse and awarded a $5,000 Efroymson Family Endangered Places grant for a feasibility study to help hone plans for the repairs.
The modest school building isn’t the first to occupy the property. When Batesville constructed a new high school in 1927, the City elected to demolish its original 1888 high school building and construct a new elementary school for first and second graders in its place. Originally known as East Side Grade School, the institution later became known as the Ward School, named for the school’s first teacher, Flossie Ward. Today, the building’s exterior remains roughly unchanged, retaining its historic stucco, metal windows, and trim.
Batesville Main Street plans to restore the school building’s historic appearance, maintaining its ties to community memory while outfitting the interior for retail use to support the City’s plan for adding retail downtown.
Located next to Batesville City Hall and the Kids Discovery Factory, the school could play a key role in increasing foot traffic in the area. Since acquiring Ward School, Batesville Main Street has conducted a major clean-up, installed a new roof, and repaired window wells to stop water infiltration into the basement. In removing the drop ceiling, the group discovered remnants of an original skylight, a feature they intend to replicate. Next on their to-do list: repairing exterior stucco, adding new paint, installing heating and cooling systems, and replacing missing glass in the historic windows.
The group is also collecting names, photos, and memories of students that once attended the school in a project to preserve the building’s history. If you or a family member attended the school, you can submit your information in a survey on Batesville Main Street’s website.
“It’s very exciting to be able to save a building that holds so much history for so many in our community and repurposing it to become an incubator space to help boost retail in our downtown,” says Amy Pretzer, Batesville Main Street director. “Keeping the history alive and involving the community by telling their stories and memories has been so incredibly heartfelt and passionate, and we look forward to sharing all those memories throughout the process.”
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