Middletown (1,306) Built 1939
July 25, 2024
July 25, 2024
Indiana is known for many things: basketball obviously, motor racing, interstate highways, corn, and limestone. The latter is the one I don't associate with as much personally because it's really part of our southern half's heritage. Indiana limestone has been used in 35 state capitol buildings, the Empire State Building, the Pentagon, and the famous Biltmore mansion in North Carolina. It's literally part of the bedrock of our nation. I had rocks on my mind as I walked around the old Cossack Gym in Middletown on a beautiful Indiana summer night. While I don't think it's limestone, I'd actually venture to say it's not, (though I'm nothing close to a geologist), I couldn't help but think about our state's history as I entered this stone castle of hoops. Every single inch of the structure is made of meticulously crafted rock. No wonder it has stood the test of time. This place was built to withstand whatever nonsense Indiana weather is thrown at it. It's not going anywhere, just like the memories it holds inside.
As rock-solid as the Middletown gym is, it's not exactly much to look at on the outside. The outer walls have lighter colored stones cobbled together all the way around from top to bottom. The entrance actually looks like something out of the 80s and sits under a small overhang. Stepping inside though transports you into a different world. There's a small foyer with the original ticket window and the official capacity listed above it. Then you walk into the gym itself and the stone that didn't feel spectacular outside suddenly takes your breath away. It seems to be a slightly darker shade and a little more grey inside. That could just be my eyes playing tricks on me, or it could be that it's been weathered away on the outside. Either way, it gives the whole place a very homey feel. The walls on the inside are also very rough. These aren't perfectly laid bricks in neat rows. It's a conglomeration of stones placed expertly by master craftsman 80 years ago. I know I've spent a lot of time talking about rocks here, but I'm trying to do it all justice. It just creates a really cool dynamic.
One neat thing about stone is the ability to carve things into it. You often see the year a gym was built or a name carved into the capstone of a school somewhere outside, but it's not nearly as common within a building. The entire gym being made out of stone provided an unbelievable opportunity for the fine people of Middletown to create some of the coolest athletic accomplishment displays ever made. Across an entire baseline wall features the years that the Middletown Cossacks won conference, sectional, and Pendleton Invitational titles, all engraved into smooth sections of rock. A beautiful and permanent tribute to a history that will can never be erased or forgotten. I was told a great story from a community member about how Middletown eventually was no longer asked back to the Pendleton Invitational because they kept winning, and the last time they did, they were not provided a ladder and scissors to cut down the nets after the championship. They were not deterred though and managed to find the necessary materials on their own, quickly cut down their earned hardware, and make out like bandits.
Outside of the rock, the gym has some other pretty cool features. Permanent wooden bleachers run from wall to wall along the sidelines. They're mostly painted black, but there are some small sections of red. They're also numbered on the lip of the seats which can be clearly seen from the floor level which isn't something I've seen many other places. One side features the original scorer's table and a unique portion of the first row that has a back to the bleacher seats, presumably for the team benches. They're all extremely worn which only adds to the charm. The walls above the seating here feature huge square windows that have since been filled in with wood. Many have the section designations engraved below them. The old school gym class staple climbing rope hangs high above here in one corner.
The baseline ends of the floor do not disappoint either. The side opposite of the entrance features a big stage that sits up higher than most that you see in gyms from this era. I would hate to fall off of it by accident. The bigger curtain was pulled back when I visited, but there's a shining, golden "M" in the burgundy ribboning that runs across the top. Padding has been added across the bottom to protect players as it sits just a couple of feet behind the out of bounds line. Two practice hoops hang directly on the wall on either side of the stage like sentries. The wall above the entrance though may be my favorite part of the whole place. In the top corners of the bleachers that run up against the wall, there are little stair sections that lead to what is essentially a balcony where you can stand and watch the action from behind a rocky ledge. It runs the entire length of the baseline. I can only imagine how cool of a vantage point that would have been to watch a hotly contested rivalry game from. Looking down from it, you can see the beautiful hardwood floor that is stained an almost dark orange color. The inner-circle at center court and foul lanes are painted red to match the select sections of red bleachers.
The Cossacks (apparently named after people of southern Russian and Ukranian descent?) managed to win five New Castle sectional titles to go along with the two they had prior while playing in this gym. Winning a single one as a tiny school in that kind of esteemed sectional would have been a momumental achievement, capturing 7 is just absurd. A program with that kind of success deserves a home this pretty. This was the fifth gym I visited this particular summer day. I was tired and almost didn't make the drive out after dinner. It was the only one close to my house though so I thought it wouldn't be too bad of a drive. The problem was I couldn't find the exact address anywhere online, and my efforts to cruise the small town to find it on my own were fruitless. I had to stop at the town library for directions. It took me 30 minutes longer than it should have, but I finally found it. It was worth the hassle. The high school boys coach for Shenandoah (who still owns the gym) opens it up one night a week for the community. There were some middle schoolers running drills on one end and I got to talk to the coach for a bit on the other. Up until recently the gym was basically just used for storage, but they've been trying to breath some life back into it. He wants to play a throwback game there in the coming years. I can't think of anywhere more ripe for one. This place was made for basketball. I hope it gets the chance to host meaningful moments again soon.
