History

The Pimento School was designed by Albert G. Belden Co., Architects and constructed by James O. Sickels of Princeton, Indiana. The trustees of the township school district build the new building for the generous sum of $40,500.

The Town of Pimento

The small town which gave its name to the school, the originally laid out east of the educational site, adjacent to the Evansville, Terre Haute & Chicago railroad (also known as the Chicago and Eastern Illinois system). The railroad runs in a general north-south direction through the eastern half of Linton Township, in the south central part of Vigo County, Indiana. The town was laid out in 1852 on land owned by Israel French, and dubbed "Hartford". There is some debate about the origin of the name "Pimento", but it seems logical that it derives from the name of a coal mining operation which was located a quarter mile south of town and which employed many local residents. Although it was known as Hartford for a number of years after it was laid out, eventually, the postal service requested a name change, since there were two Hartford's in Indiana. The name "Pimento" was chosen and today remains a distinctive quality of the place -- It is the only such town name in the country.

By 1880, when Judge S. B. Gookins compiled a history of Vigo County, Pimento contained several retail establishments, including at least one general store, a drug store, grocery, a post office, a blacksmith shop and a tavern. In addition, two story, 30' x 60' building known as the Town House had been erected in 1858. For a while the ground floor served as a school. Later it was used for religious meeting, with a fraternal lodge meeting on the second floor after 1861. By 1869 a Baptist meeting house had been erected and in 1880, the Odd Fellows completed a two-story building.

The town enjoyed good transportation, thanks to the presence of the C. & E.I passenger and freight depot. Later, an interurban line was added, about 50 feet to the wet of the railroad. The latter served the community until about 1933.

The area surrounding Pimento was always primarily agricultural, and a large hay-press in Pimento was said, in 1880, to be a feature of considerable importance to the business interests of the town. In addition, coal mining was also an important part of the region's commercial activity.

Linton Township and its Schools

Linton Township was carved out of two adjoining townships in 1841. Its earliest had arrived in the first decades of the nineteenth century, most from Kentucky. The township was named for one of these early settlers.

The first school in the township, constructed before 1841, is said to have been located about three miles southwest of Pimento. This was a simple log building, with the usual hard seats and greased-paper windows.

When the town of Pimento was laid out in 1852, a log school was located near its center. by 1858 it had been replaced by the two story "Town House" previously mentioned. By the close to the civil war, with the increased population of the township, eight one-room country schools served the educational needs of its citizens.

Pimento's young population had also outgrown the 1858 facility, and a two-room frame school building was constructed in the general location of the present Pimento School building. This marked the beginning of the site's long association with education in Linton Township.

The Pimento School Site

By 1891 the frame school had been replaced with a one story, two-room brick building. The school population only included elementary level students, however. It wasn't until 1903, when a second story was added to this brick building that High School students were first accommodated. The instruction only included a two-year course at first, but by 1905 a full four-year curriculum was established.

A major step in the township education system was taken in 1913, with the construction of a new two-story brick building to serve as the consolidated elementary and high school. The building was erected at a cost slightly over $16,000 and was a source of great pride in the community. Several other changes were made to the site at this time.

The horse stable and privy, which had stood within fifty feet of the original building, were becoming obsolete. The former had been a necessity for students and teachers who were required to travel to school via there own horses and buggies. by the first decade of the twentieth century, new horse-drawn school transportation was furnished by the township. Eventually, motorized school buses would be in use and the stable would be removed.

The outdoor privy was no longer needed, with modern indoor plumbing furnished in the new building. Another addition to comfort and convenience, was the new driven well supplied an inside drinking fountain.

In 1924, increasingly crowded conditions in the 1913 building urged construction of an additional building, and plans were prepared for the construction of the present structure. It was opened in 1925. A major feature of the brick and concrete structure was its indoor basketball court. This allowed the local team to host games with other schools in their own facility. A few years after the school was open, a new hardwood floor was added in the auditorium/gymnasium and wooden bleachers were provided. Outdoor baseball and basketball was also available.

The new building operated as the township High School, allowing the 1913 structure to be dedicated to the younger grades. It also provided new facilities for community gatherings and, of course, sports events. The school had a good library, wood working shop, and home economics facilities in addition to the regular academic curriculum. In 1929 the school music activities included courses in the history of music, a 21 piece orchestra, and later, a band.

By 1961, further consolidation meant that high school students in the township no longer attended Pimento High School. The building remained, however, serving lower school populations until it was sold to a group which converted it to use as a church.

By 1987 the town of Pimento had about 220 residents and the post office was one of only two businesses. The 1913 school was town down during this era, but the site continued to be used by the church for services and school activities. In the present decade, Pimento School lay dormant, abandoned as a church and in need of attention. When Pimento School, Inc was formed in the late 1990s, it dedicated itself to bringing back this facility, and adapting its generous space for use as a community center, and related activities.