Following its closure, the structure was repurposed as a barn and remained in that use for several decades. In the late 1990s, the property owners planned to demolish the building to make way for a larger agricultural structure.

At that time, a teacher at Bellefontaine Middle School recognized the building’s historical significance and introduced it to her sixth-grade enrichment class as a preservation project. The students led a remarkable grassroots effort, raising more than $30,000 to save and relocate the schoolhouse to Veterans Park in West Mansfield.

Their work earned numerous awards in state and international problem-solving competitions. In partnership with the students, the Logan County Historical Society undertook the restoration of the building. Today, the Society owns and maintains the schoolhouse, opening it to the public for field trips and tours.