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Source: NMHS Newsletter May 1986
THOMAS MARSHALL SCHOOL
By Kelly Knarr
Thomas Marshall 5th
Grade
Thomas Marshall School building was
built in 1929 on a large amount of land which was a part
of the Holderman estate located on the east side of the
city, three blocks south of Manchester College.
The building is a beautiful rectangular, dark red
brick structure with white stone-like trimmings.
It was built with the idea that
Manchester College student teachers would use that
school for their practice teaching.
Kenneth Burr, the first principal and fifth and
sixth grade teacher, had student teachers all the time.
He worked closely with Manchester College.
The other teachers, Miss Edith Dresher of the
first and second grades, Miss Lucile Wright of the third
grade, and Miss Ruth Brane of the fourth grade, also had
student teachers.
The elementary children attending
Manchester schools at the time chose the name Thomas
Marshall. A
picture of Marshall was hung in the main entrance of the
school.
After the building was remodeled in 1968, the picture
was hung in the school library.
There were eight classrooms in the
building, three on the first floor and five on the
second floor.
A small library was on the second floor across
the hall from the office.
When school first opened that year, only four
rooms were used, and the extra ones were used as
activity rooms.
As the school population grew, more rooms were
occupied until all the extra rooms were in use as
classrooms.
There were eight regular teachers with one grade per
room.
Kindergarten required two teachers, one for the morning
session and one for the afternoon group.
In 1968 the office was moved to the
ground floor and a music room and a multi-purpose room
were added on the east side of the building.
The halls, stairways, and classrooms were all
carpeted and a completely new heating system was
installed and the wiring was remodeled.
In 1984 the roof was repaired as well as the trim
along the edge of the roof.
My grandpa, Richard Knarr, was the
third principal at Thomas Marshall School.
He was a principal there for five years.
He also was a sixth grade teacher there.
(Source:
Wabash County History.)
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