TOWN OF MARTELL — The approximately 120-year-old Martell Schoolhouse building has established itself as one of Pierce County’s most recognizable buildings. Its future, though, is not as clear, as the Town of Martell’s board is evaluating options for what to do with it.

“The Martell Board is currently investigating options for the future of the Martell Schoolhouse, One consideration being reviewed is the possibility of divesting the Schoolhouse from Town ownership, This option would require approval of the electorates at the next annual meeting. Prior to presentation at the Annual meeting all options and related pros and cons would need to be identified and communicated to the Town electorates,” the statement from Supervisor 1 John Worsing reads.

The annual meeting is slated for April 15 and there also may be discussion slated for the April 8 regular board meeting, with potential options the town could take up being numerous.

With the cost of replacing the schoolhouse’s roof estimated to be $25,000, keeping the building would come with a price tag.

As of the summer, the Friends of the Martell Schoolhouse group signed a 10-year lease with the Town of Martell for the schoolhouse. The group is unsure what that means for them considering they invested money in property improvements along the way. The organization has made significant renovations over the years including new wood flooring and paint. The $25,000 total would be a lofty one according to the group, and even if the two sides could work together to reach it, concerns of whether the town would sell the building anyway linger.

The group plans to work with the Pierce County Historical Association to see what the two groups can do to keep the schoolhouse.

April is also spring election season, meaning new town board supervisors could be sworn in. The Friends of the Martell Schoolhouse group does not expect potential member changes to significantly impact the building’s future, but it is a possibility.

According to a 2018 story from the Republican Eagle, the Friends of the Martell Schoolhouse started in 2009 with members Francine Rudesill, Dianne Erickson, Patricia Klass, Norma Rudesill, Maxine Schaller and Deanie Pass with president Thomas Meyer.

"There's a tradition of that in cities," Meyer, a San Francisco native, said of cities’ willingness to preserve history in the 2018 article. "Here some people don't want to bother maintaining it. It's nice when history doesn't get lost so kids and grandkids can see what it used to be like.”
Friends of the Martell Schoolhouse held community events over the years including concerts and other activities.

According to the book by P.M. Wiff “The History of Martell Township,” the school was built in 1905 to accommodate the overflow of students from the Cloverdale School. The lost cost $200 and the school’s price tag was $1,107.87. In 1914, they added steps and front porch. The original building was red, but was repainted to white in 1923.

According to information from the Wisconsin Historical Society, the school housed all eight grade and closed in 1962 when school consolidation occurred across the area. The building then became the Martell Town Hall, which remained in use until 2009 when the township moved operations to the nearby vacant Methodist Church at the corners of Highway 63 and County Road Y.
While the future is uncertain, the past is not, and the Friends of the Martell Schoolhouse hope that past is enough to preserve the building.