Maybe Fairmount High School is not meant to be saved.
It is 109 years old. It’s not been kept in prime condition.
The school sat vacant from 1986 — when it was closed — until the Madison-Grant Youth Basketball League purchased it and began using the gym for games. A large portion of the rest of the school is fenced off and falling apart.
In 2001, the school was placed on the annual 10 Most Endangered list compiled by the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. In 2003, it was considered “saved” and removed from the list. The savior was the California-based Historic Properties Inc. The youth league transferred the property to Historic Fairmount Inc. to expedite renovations.
Historic Properties is promising fabulous things.
According to their Web site: “The James Dean Performing Arts Center will include the completely restored stage and auditorium where a young James Dean first performed, as well as the third-floor classroom where he first studied acting. Many of Dean’s classroom fixtures still exist in their original form and will be incorporated into various public venues highlighting his accomplishments and enduring influence on American culture.” Dean’s speech and drama teacher Adeline Nall’s drama and speech classroom will be used for an exhibit of James Dean memorabilia.”
So far the company has:
n Created the Fairmount Foundation to solicit funds to restore Fairmount High School.
n Solicited funds on letterhead reading: “James Dean Performing Arts Center & Museum.”
n Thrown a fundraiser with big Hollywood stars to raise money. How much? We don’t know. They are mum on what their fundraising goal is. They are not saying how much they raised, but noted to youth league officials at the end of November that they are still $800,000 short and need several more months to come up with the funding.
They’ve said nothing about how the money is coming in. Is it in hand? Is it a pledge?
Their Web site (www.fairmountfoundation.org) appears not to have been updated in some time. The last news release published was for the Nov. 9, 2006, fundraising event in California.
Nowhere on the site does it say how much money they are trying to raise.
The site shows a listing of artifacts available for purchase from the historic building. Friday, only two items were listed — 47 auditorium chairs and numerous bricks.
However, Fairmount Surplus (www.merrijoysurplus4sale.com) is selling items from the school as well for the California company. Its listing is much longer, but as of Friday, said there were only 12 chairs left to purchase. Are these items being sold the “fixtures” “in their original form” which will be “incorporated into various public venues” at the school?
The contract between Historic Properties Inc. and the youth league, signed Nov. 26, 2002, states that if sufficient funds were not obtained to complete the project in five years, the building was to be demolished and the real estate returned to the league.
It’s been five years and 20 days. What has been done is unclear. What will be done is unclear.
While creating a James Dean Performing Arts Center sounds incredible, there are more pressing needs for Fairmount. From protecting our children from a school that is becoming a “death trap,” according to a resident who works with the Fairmount Ambulance Service, to providing a new parking lot to a basketball league in need of space.
What’s more important? What a California firm is vaguely saying about the small town? What they say they will do but haven’t done? Or continued support and protection for our children?
Opinion
EDITORIAL: Group's promises of preservation seem to be fading
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