Middlebury Elementary
Elkhart, Indiana
10/12/25
I was digging for facts, but found corpses instead. Ask around Elkhart, and people will tell you this school holds a dark secret; that Civil War soldiers were buried beneath this soil. Yet when I went searching for proof, nothing. So what’s the truth? Was this a former Civil War burial site? And what happened to the decaying building that sits here now? Well, the truth’s a bit strange.
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I began my search for clues on when Middlebury Elementary was constructed. The common consensus is the early 1900s. It was one of the first grade schools in the community, but here’s the hiccup — no one knows exactly when it closed. But I have a guess, the mid 60s. ABC57 reports the building was used as office space for 40 to 50 years. That lines up with Indiana’s 1959 School Corporation Reorganization Act, which forced many small schools to shut down — maybe even one in your own hometown.
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Even if this theory is true, the remaining history is rocky. By 2009, former tenant United Way had vacated the site. With a slump in occupants, the building fell abandoned. But the question was, what was next? Enter Lacasa, a non-profit with the goal of helping low-income individuals.
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Recognizing Elkhart’s increasing homeless issue, their bold idea was for 16 new apartments, a full refurbishment, at a cost $1.7 million. Once finished, vetted homeless patients would receive the chance to start anew outside the overcrowded Faith Mission shelter. Demand was immediate, before ground broke, potential applicants soared to 120. In October 2011, Lacasa purchased the property. For a moment, things looked promising. So why is it still abandoned?
Well let me introduce you to our new player: Troy Nicholas of Maple City Rental, LLC. He bought the property in July 2019 and even installed a new roof, planning to turn the school into an event center. But then came a familiar tale: The Covid-19 pandemic greatly scarred the world and Nicholas’s plans. By early 2022, Nicholas had pivoted, working with an architect to reimagine the building as 8 to 13 apartments. After years of delays and an order to demolish the building, Troy finally secured unanimous approval to rezone the school on November 9. Yet just like Lacasa, he had no funding.
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Now the future apartment complex only houses squatters. And between May 2023 and February 2024, the building even caught fire. Hope for Middlebury Elementary is fading fast. But what about the Civil War burial ground, was there any truth to that rumor? Well, yes, kinda.
Elkhart’s first cemetery was platted in 1832 at the corner of Middlebury and Prairie St. A few Civil War soldiers were buried there. But by 1864, overcrowding led the graves to be moved to Grace Lawn Cemetery. So while it’s possible soldiers were once buried on this land, the exact location is blurred by time. Maybe the graves were moved… or maybe some were left behind. The truth might be lost to time — but the ruins of Middlebury Elementary still keep their secrets.
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REFERENCES
“Elkhart Planning Commission Reviews La Casa Rezoning Proposal.” ABC57 News,
www.abc57.com/news/elkhart-planning-commission-reviews-la-casa-rezoning-proposal
“About Us.” La Casa, Inc.,
lacasainc.net/about-us/.
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“Cemeteries in Elkhart.” City of Elkhart,
elkhartindiana.org/government/cemeteries/.
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“Photograph of Elkhart Scene.” Indiana Digital Library,
digital.library.in.gov/Record/IHS_P0391-656.
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City of Elkhart Common Council Agenda and Packet, Nov. 7, 2022.
elkhartindiana.org/wp-content/uploads/AGENDA-AND-PACKET-FOR-NOVEMBER-7-2022-COUNCIL-MEETING.pdf.
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“Community Post.” Facebook Group: Elkhart History,
www.facebook.com/groups/2494763820688477/posts/2930846363746885/
“Community Post.” Facebook Group: Neighbors of Michiana,
www.facebook.com/groups/neighborsofmichiana/posts/1074558000841028/
“Photograph from P0391 Collection.” Indiana Historical Society,
images.indianahistory.org/digital/collection/P0391/id/656/
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“User Profile.” Facebook Group: Elkhart County History,
www.facebook.com/groups/342294562952559/user/39402834
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“Historic Photograph.” Indiana Memory,
indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll63/id/1001/rec/2.
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Legal Notice: 222 Middlebury. City of Elkhart,
elkhartindiana.org/wp-content/uploads/222-MIDDLEBURY-LEGAL-NOTICE.pdf.
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“Abandoned Middlebury Manor/Middlebury School Elkhart Indiana..” YouTube, uploaded by Gregory J Garrett, www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFWE_Pe5oQg
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Planning Commission Minutes, March 7, 2022. City of Elkhart,
elkhartindiana.org/wp-content/uploads/MARCH-7-2022-PC-APPROVED-MIN.pdf.
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“Video Recording.” YouTube, uploaded by Chris Hager,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqKwS_jIoqc
“Video Recording.” YouTube, uploaded by NCS | NewscastStudio,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBX9bypPyVE
“Video Recording.” YouTube, uploaded by Global News,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKPWngYf2Wk
“Video Recording.” YouTube, uploaded by ABC News,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjINRzdnWxs
“Video Recording.” YouTube, uploaded by Fox News,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6MaiwYFlfU
