The sun finally set Sunday on the 100-year-old Gardiner Consolidated School, a fixture of decaying grandeur for half a century along U.S. Highway 169 near Bouton.
The Christmas Eve burning of the schoolhouse was followed this weekend by the demolition of the remaining brick edifice. Landowner Karl Harris of Bouton said leveling the building was the safest way to discourage trespassers from the grounds.
Harris said anyone with an interest in retrieving collectible bricks as keepsakes will have an opportunity in the near future. Once a date is set and arrangements made, the details will be announced in ThePerryNews.com.
Gardiner Consolidated School was built in 1919 and dedicated in 1920. The last eighth grade class graduated in 1958. The land was sold in 1964, and the schoolhouse has gradually decayed ever since.
