Meltzer Woods – 8-11-26 – Schoolhouse-21 res
Meltzer Schoolhouse, by Paul Roberts
Building on a Family Legacy
Written By: Vanessa Armstrong
Date Published: October 6, 2026
Vanessa Armstrong
Guest post by Vanessa Armstrong, founder of the free library nonprofit Hoosier Landmarks for Learning and granddaughter of Philip Meltzer
The story of Meltzer Woods begins with John Frederick Meltzer, a German immigrant who purchased the initial 160 acres of Shelby County farmland in 1857. While most 19th-century settlers cleared every acre of timber for agriculture, the Meltzer family were skilled wood carvers and therefore had a deep respect for nature and left a 48-acre tract virtually untouched. According to the book The Natural Heritage of Indiana by Marion T. Jackson, the Meltzers are referred to as one of the First Families of Indiana Conservation.
Children’s book in the little free library
John Frederick met his wife, Salomea, very close to the Meltzer farm, though they both originally came from Germany. They had 13 children, most of whom started businesses at the crossroads near the farmhouse. It became known as Meltzerville, which can still be found on some maps.
Their son Frank built the large Meltzer farmhouse for his parents, but they passed away shortly after it was finished, and Frank inherited the farm and house. Frank was a bachelor who never married. His brother Philip built a house on the other side of the woods. Philip married Romaine, and they had two children, Brady and Cora.
Frank and Philip both farmed, carved wood, and designed buildings. They cut out the now replanted field in the middle of Meltzer Woods so they could easily reach each other’s farms. They were also commissioned to build the schoolhouse for the community, constructing it in the same Italianate style as the farmhouse. They finished building it in 1875.
Pump in the schoolyard
Philip’s children, Brady and Cora, attended the schoolhouse. Its official name was Liberty Township Schoolhouse #2, as it was the second one constructed in Liberty Township; however, it was the first public school for the children in that area. Now, most people refer to it as the Meltzer Schoolhouse.
Brady hated school and made it known to his peers that he would eventually buy the schoolhouse and convert it. In 1919, he finally got his chance. As roads were built throughout the country and schools began consolidating, Brady bought the schoolhouse from the township. As road construction continued to grow, villages like Meltzerville became relics of the past.
Brady also purchased as many businesses in Meltzerville as he could, moving their equipment inside the schoolhouse. He relocated his sawmill from one end of County Road 600 East to the other, placing it behind the schoolhouse. Although he ran his business from that corner for many years, he refused to cut down any trees from Meltzer Woods, opting only to cut timber for others.
Chalkboard in the old Meltzer Schoolhouse
After Brady passed away, his son Philip (named after his grandfather) inherited the sawmill and schoolhouse.
The building sat empty, except for garage sales that Philip’s sister Martha held there in the 1990s, around the time it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2022, some friends and I experimented with turning the schoolhouse into a giant Little Free Library.
Hope Fenton, Elysia Jeavons, and Vanessa Armstrong
It was so popular that we immediately founded the nonprofit Hoosier Landmarks for Learning to restore the building, maintain the library, and educate the public about local landmarks, including Meltzer Woods.
The sawmill behind the schoolhouse is actually older than the schoolhouse. The Indiana Barn Foundation dated it as being built in the 1860s.
Photos by Paul Roberts, volunteer photographer
Mary Callaghan
Assistant Outreach Biologist, International Crane Foundation
Mary Callaghan is an Assistant Outreach Biologist for the International Crane Foundation. Her work aims to educate Indiana communities on Whooping and Sandhill cranes, their habitats, and how we can all work together to mitigate threats that these birds face. She is responsible for monitoring populations of these species on their wintering grounds across Indiana, most importantly tracking movements of the endangered Whooping Crane. Her Golden Hour presentation was one of our most popular events of 2026.
Ben Valentine
Guest Blogger
Ben Valentine is a founding member of the Friends of Marott Woods Nature Preserve and is active in several other conservation organizations. He leads a series of NUVO interviews with Indiana's environmental leaders, and he cherishes showing his son all the wonders of nature he grew up loving.
DJ Connors
Guest Blogger
DJ Connors, a Central Indiana native and late-to-life hunter, combines a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors with a deep passion for exploring the natural beauty of the area he has called home for most of his life. As a husband and father of three, he is committed to ensuring his children have the same opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate the outdoors in their community. DJ’s unique journey into hunting emphasizes sustainability, responsible stewardship, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations.
Bridget Walls
Guest Blogger
Bridget is our first ever Communications and Outreach Intern. She is a graduate of Marian University, where she combined English, studio art, and environmental sciences in her degree studies. As treasurer for Just Earth, the university's environmental club, she helped plan events encouraging a responsible relationship between people, nature, and animals.
Jordan England
Guest Blogger
Jordan England is a lifelong Shelby County resident who graduated from Waldron Jr. Sr. High School (just a few miles from Meltzer Woods!). After earning her B.S. degree in Retail Management from Purdue University, she returned to Waldron to start a family with her husband, Brian. Together they have 3 young children and enjoy sharing with them their love of the community. Jordan is the Grants and Nonprofit Relations Director at Blue River Community Foundation, managing BRCF’s grant program, providing support to local nonprofits, and promoting catalytic philanthropy in Shelby County.
Cliff Chapman
President and CEO
As CILTI’s President and CEO, Cliff keeps CILTI’s focus on good science and stewardship. He’s mindful that the natural places you love took thousands of years to evolve and could be destroyed in a single day, and that knowledge drives his dedication to their protection.
Ryan Fuhrmann
Board Chair
Ryan C. Fuhrmann, CFA, is President and founder of Fuhrmann Capital LLC, an Indiana-based investment management firm focused on portfolio management. Ryan’s interest in land conservation centers around a desire to help preserve natural habitats for wildlife and the subsequent benefits it brings to people and the environment.
Joanna Nixon
Board Member
Joanna Nixon is the owner of Nixon Consulting, an Indianapolis-based strategy and project management firm focused on the nonprofit sector. She currently serves as the Philanthropic Advisor for the Efroymson Family Fund. Prior to opening her consulting practice in 2000, Joanna was vice-president for grantmaking at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Joanna has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and arts and culture sector. She is passionate about the environment and loves bringing big ideas to life and creating high-quality arts and culture programs and experiences. Joanna enjoys outdoor adventures, including competing in fitness obstacle course races and hiking with her high energy Australian Cattle Dog, Jackson.
Karen Wade
Board Member
Before retiring, CILTI board member Karen Wade worked for Eli Lilly & Co. In retirement she volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Indiana Master Naturalist program, Johnson County Native Plant Partnership CISMA, Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Center, and Leadership Johnson County.
David Barickman
Director of Advancement
Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. Now he enjoys working with CILTI donors, helping them to protect nature through their giving. When not working, David loves to be outdoors hiking, fly fishing, kayaking or woodworking.
Jamison Hutchins
Stewardship Director
Jamison leads our stewardship team in caring for the land that is so important to you. He comes to our team after eight years as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Indianapolis, where his work had a positive impact from both health and environmental perspectives.
Robert McCrea
Land Protection Director
Robert grew up in Bloomington, IN, where he opted for exploring the hills of southern Indiana rather than the expected high school extracurricular pursuits. This formative time set the tone for his career in conservation. Most recently, Robert was an attorney at Conservation Law Center and provided counsel to land trusts and conservation partnerships throughout Indiana. As CILTI's Land Protection Director, he works to protect Central Indiana’s remaining natural areas.
Jen Schmits Thomas
Media Relations
An award-winning communicator and recognized leader in Central Indiana’s public relations community, Jen helps us tell our story in the media. She is the founder of JTPR, which she and her husband John Thomas own together. She is accredited in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and loves to camp and hike in perfect weather conditions.
Shawndra Miller
Communications Director
Shawndra’s earliest writing projects centered around the natural world, starting when a bird inspired her to write her first “book” in elementary school. Now she is in charge of sharing our story and connecting you to our work. Through our print and online materials, she hopes to inspire your participation in protecting special places for future generations.
Phillip Weldy
Stewardship Manager
Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. As an AmeriCorps member in Asheville, NC, he had his first full immersion in relatively undisturbed land while reconstructing wilderness trails in National Parks and National Forests.
September 15, 2026
A great thought partner. A trusted colleague. A joyful spirit. These are some of the ways people describe Stacy Cachules, former COO of Central Indiana Land Trust. This spring, Stacy left our team after 15 years to assume leadership of the River Network, a national nonprofit.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE $450,000 gift expands “part of the Mount Rushmore of Indiana”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thousands of trees planted slowed water’s flow along the river during flooding The Central Indiana Land Trust, Inc. (CILTI) has spent two decades saving forested wetlands and planting thousands of trees in three areas along the White River in Hamilton County that aid in slowing down [...]
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