| Mullin Schoolhouse |
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 Known at various times as District School No. 3, Election School, and Martin School; the Mullin schoolhouse has been carefully restored and furnished by the Mullin family to resemble a one-room school as it would have looked in the 1800s. Standing inside the brick building today, visitors can almost hear the voices of school children as they recite their lessons. The building was used as a school from 1874 to 1900.The school is located at 100 W 750 N at the west edge of Liberty Township, just off State Road 25 between Rockfield and Burrows. It was built by Rock Creek Township Trustee Lewis Mullin in 1874, the same year Purdue University was founded. The building was originally in the eastern half of Rock Creek Township, but in 1938 the county commissioners split the area at 100 W into Rock Creek and Liberty Townships. It was an effort to settle a battle on school consolidation. Nearby to the northwest was an old stable which served as the first school in that area. The land for the brick school was purchased from Peter Snyder in 1874 for $300 by William D. Martin and George Martin. In 1893, Wilson A. Martin acquired the land and later deeded it to Mabel J. Mullin and Dr. Herbert Y. Mullin. On February 19, 1966, the land was deeded to Robert L. and Marjorie Mullin Wasson. The building was used as a grade school from 1874 to 1900. It became storage for grain until about 1950. It was vacant and deteriorating for 35 years until the Mullins restored it. In 1985, the Wassons gave 3/4 of an acre to Lewis N. Mullin and son William L. Mullin, Keith Mullin, and Wayne Mullin if they would restore the school building.  Attorney Lewis N. Mullin and wife, Hazel, and Mabel Benner Mullin had the task of finding authentic 1874 - 1900 furnishings. The one-room schools were usually sparsely decorated except for pictures of George Washington and Abe Lincoln. Three types of desks, the earliest ones being two seaters, each more progressive in size than the next, were lined up to face the teacher's desk in front. An average of 20 - 25 students from grades one through eight filled the schoolhouse. A pot-bellied stove warmed the room, and an organ sat in the corner used for group singing and socials. Some of the walls had slate blackboards. A dunce cap was on a stool in one corner awaiting an unprepared scholar.The textbooks used at that time were McGuffy Readers, Snider's Union Reader, Eagan's Common School Arithmetic, Ray's Arithmetic, Blue Back Speller, and Warren's Geography. Between 1836 and 1900 over one-half of the schools used the McGuffy Readers. An original McGuffy Reading Chart was in the school. The Mullin School was put on the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 1988, mostly because of its Gothic ceiling, windows, and woodwork trim. The one-room schools served the people well. They met the needs of the time and laid the foundation for the finest citizenry of any age. The Carroll County 132nd Old Settlers meeting was held in the school in August 8, 1987, with over 80 in attendance. For information about group tours, email carrollcountyweb@gmail.com. |