I have always heard about a boulder (field stone) church in Greenfield. In the good old days anything east of the Brandywine was called Oklahoma. I have driven through the area to attempt to find some sign.
I was informed by one individual that the foundation of the church is on the property of the “Way Out Club” east of the building.
If you go and look, you can easily see some boulders from the foundation sticking out out of the ground. One of the members of the Eagles Club formerly at the site attempted to dig around the foundation, but found the walls would have been approximately 2 feet thick and it soon became an impossible task.
A 1908 Sunday edition of The Indianapolis Star tells us more about the “most” unique church in the Richmond District of the North Indiana ME Conference currently under construction in East Greenfield.
According to the Star, it was to be made from boulders picked up from the area fields. Thomas Moxley, a Greenfield architect, agreed to oversee the building. Albert New gave the first $100 and Elmer Binford, an attorney, donated the land. It was completed with a school in the spring of 1908. Ada New offered the construction plan for the church when she said, “The fields are full of boulders. Farmers will be glad to get rid of them and will haul them for us.”
If you have time, go look — it is interesting.
Did you ever hear of the Greenfield Rifle Club? Bill Dishman presents us with this 1940 photo. In the photo is Riley Theobald, Howard Delashmit, Elton Jessup, Paul Hawkins, Stormy Addison and Blaine Corkiins. I know Walter Worland has one of their patches framed, and he was a member.
But I don’t know much about the club. Do you? Let me know.
Enough. I have told you everything that I know and some things I don’t. Talk to me.
