Russellville (800?) Built 1958
April 24, 2025
April 24, 2025
There are certain pockets of the state that still feel a bit like a foreign land to me. It's not because they're incredibly different geographically from the rest of the state, but more because I haven't heard much about them throughout my life. I grew up in northeast Indiana, have family in the northwest, settled in east central Indiana, have traveled a lot in the southeast, and have friends in the southwest parts of the state. The west central part of Hoosierland is just not something I have ever really been familiar with. Because of this, the land between Terre Haute and Lafayette has been some of my favorite to traverse while in search of old gyms. Traveling through the small towns and then researching their history and learning their stories energizes me to no end. So when I saw a post for the biannual Rosie's Roundup get-together this spring, I perked up. Rosie's Roundup is a meeting for Indiana high school basketball coaches, former players, officials, and just crazies like me who love talking shop. It's something I've wanted to attend for years, but it always falls on a school day. This year I decided life is too short to skip out on things you love, and I took a day off of school to head to Thorntown where it is held every year. This meant I also had a free morning to explore some old gyms in this region of the state. My first stop took me to Russellville, where I discovered a gym that isn't as well-known as others, but has been cared for in a way that is uncommonly wonderful.
Shuttered high school gyms that survive abandonment or the wrecking ball typically do so for one of a handful of reasons. 1) They are attached to elementary or middle schools. 2) They are turned into businesses, churches, or private homes. 3) They are used by the school corporation for storage. 4) They are turned into community centers. The community centers tend to be the most well preserved and restored to their original glory, because their caretakers are usually the people who who actually experienced the gyms during those times. With the passage of time, these people are gradually becoming more rare. In the best cases, people who still live in the towns and are invested in them step in and help fill these roles. Russellville is fortunate to have both types of people. I was greeted at the gym by Darrell Wiatt. If there was ever a single person synonymous with an old gym, it's him. Mr. Wiatt actually grew up just a few miles away in Waveland (which I actually visited later in the day), but you'd be hard pressed to find someone as ingrained in the town of Russellville as he is. He became a teacher at the school in the early-70s after it had been turned into an elementary, and quickly became the principal. He served that post until the elementary was closed in 1993. It was only natural that he would be called on to lead again when it was turned into a community center a few years later. He has been at the helm again ever since. He quickly introduced me to Todd and Michelle Whipkey who are a local couple that not just clean the building (it is absolutely immaculate inside and out), but help with any upkeep that is needed. As we have covered extensively here, old gyms are not exactly the most low maintenance structures on Earth. This small team has not only kept the Russellville school and gym afloat, they are enabling it to thrive.
In order for an old gym to survive as a community center, there have to be funds of some sort coming in. Usually these come in the form of rentals. Parties, showers, receptions are usually the most common. Russellville introduced me to a new one. One of the first classrooms Mr. Wiatt took me to was filled from floor to ceiling along one wall with roller skates. A few times a month the gym is opened for a night of roller skating, and people flock from all over the region to join in the fun. It's one of their most successful ventures, and a very innovative one at that! After touring the rest of the school, we headed into the gym itself. The Russellville gym was built during an interesting time period for gym design. Gyms built from 1950 to the mid 60s were stuck between the WPA era of the 30s (there were hardly any gyms built at all during the 40s due to the war) and the multipurpose boom of the post-consolidation era. You never know what you're going to find when you step into a gym from this period. I will say though, it did remind me of another Putnam County classic from the 50s that I found in Reelsville. The roof of the gym is slightly arched with a brick exterior. In this case though, the school is built all the way around it. Russellville employs the standard old setup of seating all along the sidelines and a stage along one baseline, but it feels a lot bigger than the old WPA gyms of the 30s that share this design.
The focal point of the gym for me was immediately the one set of original bleachers that are still intact. They go up 8 rows and span the length of the entire sideline. A matching set used to be on the opposite side, but was taken out at some point for more space. What is so fascinating about them is how they actually look when rolled up. The rows don't just stack vertically on top of each other, but actually fold in at an angle that forms a downward slope towards the floor. I've seen this type of bleachers only a couple of other times, and I don't know what it is about them, but I love them. Different is almost always good! There are original square windows high above the bleachers on this side that have been covered up. You'll also find an old school intercom system and basketball hoop raising mechanism. I always appreciate these for whatever reason. The opposite baseline wall is pretty bare except for a neat little painted sign with the purple mascot of the Russellville Bees. The baseline wall opposite of the of the stage is empty as well except for a pretty old scoreboard hanging up in the corner. It does have an original door leading to a classroom as well. All the original doors in the school are wooden with a rich, deep stain to them that is gorgeous. The basket on this end also is the kind that has two practice hoops hanging off the sides facing the sidelines which is always cool to see.
The end of the gym with the stage has a little more pizzazz to it. The stage is shrouded on all sides by dark brick that really pops against the otherwise white background. A heavy velvet purple curtain spans the length of the stage in a manner that can only be described as regal. A big "R" is emblazoned in the center of the upper curtain frill. Behind the curtain and up on the stage, Mr. Wiatt pointed out an old light dimming machine that was pretty high tech when the school gym was built 70 years ago. It's easy to imagine how many graduations, plays, and other community events were held on the stage. Looking out from the stage, the hardwood court glistens a classic gold color. Inside the center jump circle is another cute purple bee. It many not be the most intimidating mascot, but it grounds the gym in its Russellville history and pulls everything together perfectly.
This iteration of the Russellville gym only hosted high school games for eleven years before it was converted to an elementary in 1969 and the high school consolidated into North Putnam. They didn't win a sectional during that time. Their only sectional (and regional!) title was actually won in 1921 when they were playing in the old gym that used to sit just a few yards away from where the current one does. A lack of postseason success doesn't make the Russellville gym any less special today. As I said earlier, I don't think many people outside of Putnam County know about this gem of a gym (unless you love to roller skate!). I only learned of it when researching all the old schools in the county. It deserves the recognition though, especially due to the unbelievable condition it has been kept in thanks to Mr. Wiatt and the Whipkey's. Their dedication reminds of me other people like the Laux's in Bryant, and the whole team at Pennville, who refuse to let the memory of these old places die out. They keep the candles burning. I hope the flame at Russellville never burns out.
