Limestone

Stone building built in 1939; Last Classes in 1986; Sold in 2007; Demolished in 2008

This school at the southwest corner of Nowata Road and Washington Boulevard (Highways 60 and 75) was originally part of the Limestone school district. It began as a one-room frame schoolhouse for Delaware Indians with teacher Miss Leona Agnus. That building was replaced in 1923 by a one-room brick building, which was torn down in 1930 when the teachers were Mrs. Ella Littlejohn and Mrs. Dorset.

The original portion of the larger building that stood for almost 70 years was constructed in 1939 for $50,000 with help from WPA funds. It consisted of three classrooms and a small auditorium and was faced with native stone with auburn and buff colors. In 1941 the teachers were Miss Mattie Maberry, Mrs. Leota Hutchison, and Mr. H.G. Fortune. During World War II gasoline rationing prompted the use of the facility as a Delaware tribal church and home for the town's east side Sunday School classes. By 1949 the teachers were Miss Matie Maberry, Mr. Carl V. Kime and Mrs. Dorothy Kime.

Growth on Bartlesville's east side in the 1950s led to a series of additions. Three more classrooms were added, along with other improvements, in 1950 for $39,000. By 1951, the Limestone District had absorbed the Middale, Rice Creek, and Fish Creek schools and became a dependent district with students in grades 7 and up bussed to Bartlesville.

1953 brought three more classrooms for $38,160, and in 1954 another classroom was added and the auditorium was converted into two classrooms for $25,440. In 1956 an auditorium, lunchroom, and kitchen were added for $97,520. About four acres was purchased in 1959 for $7,000.

In April 1962, the Limestone Dependent School District was annexed into Bartlesville Independent School District #30, so this school, along with Ranch Heights and Wayside, then became part of the current school district.

In 2012, Brent Taylor recalled Limestone as being the only elementary school in town at one time with a wooden gym floor and how the raised cafeteria doubled as the stage at the end of the gym for assemblies and talent shows. (The Richard Kane and second Jane Phillips elementary schools built in the 1980s also had wood gym floors.)

Limestone was serving only 4th-6th graders when classes ended in 1986. The 4th and 5th-grade classes were transferred to Wayside and the 6th-grade classes to Central. The facility later housed the school district's Buildings and Grounds, Child Nutrition, and Health Services operations while the gymnasium was used for district athletics.

The district spent the time and money in 2006-2007 to clear the title to the property, which was tied up by donation clauses. An initial attempt to sell it to Vector Securities of Tulsa on May 3, 2007 for $1,950,000 fell through. In September 2007 Hurricane Development, Inc. purchased the site for $1,900,000. Buildings and Grounds operations formerly housed at Limestone were relocated to the Shawnee Field property. In September 2008 the building was demolished and replaced by an Armstrong Bank branch on the site.

Original building

1939 building

Back of Limestone School

Back of Limestone School

2009

Former Limestone School in late 2000s

Building in 2007 (photo by Becky Burch)

Building in 2007 (photo by Becky Burch)

Front entrance (photo from Brent Taylor's blog)

Front entrance (photo from Brent Taylor's blog)

Rubble from the demolition (photo from Brent Taylor's blog)

Rubble from the demolition (photo from Brent Taylor's blog)