Bridenbaugh District No. 3 Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1889 on land the Bridenbaugh family sold to the township school board in 1873, this one-room brick schoolhouse in Riley Township, Putnam County, replaced a wood frame school from 1878. It measures 42 by 30 feet, rests on a stone foundation, and has a gable roof, four segmental-arched windows on each side, a front porch and a bell tower. A sandstone plaque names Romey & Lewis as builders. The school served District No. 3 until it closed in 1927, when a Bridenbaugh family member bought it back and used it for farm storage. A descendant later restored it, rebuilding the porch and bell tower from old photographs and refilling the room with 35 desks, a teacher's platform, a stove and a pump organ. It reopened in 1997 and now hosts field trips, reunions and meetings. It is notable as a well-preserved example of the rural one-room schools once common across Putnam County.
Significance in brief: The schoolhouse is significant under Criteria A and C for its role in educating children of District No. 3 in Riley Township from 1889 to 1927. It displays the typical traits of a nineteenth-century one-room school and reflects local community support for rural school building.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05000343, listed April 28, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Cty Rd. 6 and Twonship Rd M6, Pandora |
|---|---|
| County | Putnam County |
| Listed | April 28, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000343 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1889 - 1927 |
| Architect / builder | Romey & Lewis |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored (1995-1997 per the description) and now used as a museum, open to the public by appointment. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.97503, -83.97682 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05000343.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138657194
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.