SOUTH JORDAN — For some, this is simply an old building used as storage, a place deteriorated by age that ought to be torn down.
But Elmo Turner can still hear the laughter from the years when schoolchildren played dodge ball inside, hear their screams as they chucked mashed potatoes in a food fight.
This 1929 schoolhouse sits on the northwest corner of 10400 South and 1300 West, on property occupied by South Jordan Elementary. It is locked up, not in use by students at all — just a place that collects dust.
But the 6,000-square-foot building, which the Jordan School District now uses for storage, was once the school for South Jordan, the place to get an education.
Now, it is the place that is in the way, that the district has no viable use for and is considering bulldozing.
Turner, president of the South Jordan Historical Society, is determined to save the building and convert it into a museum.
He has the ear of the South Jordan City Council, which has authorized the city manager to negotiate a possible purchase from the school district. The city's appraisal came back at $105,000, but the district has not completed its appraisal.
The next step is for the city and the district to agree on a price, and then Turner has to prove that the committee's dream for a museum won't turn into a financial nightmare for the city.
"Even after it is fixed up," says City Manager Rick Horst, "the question remains as to who is going to pay the light bill and the maintenance. We've asked the committee to come back and present a plan of action in terms of grants and how they would operate."
What's ironic is that Turner once was principal at South Jordan Elementary, during a time when students used the old building as a gymnasium, health center and cafeteria.
He lived in a house next door and used to stand outside next to the old schoolhouse and field fly balls from his twin boys.
"My wife used to call out of the window at 5 or 6 at night and tell me it was time to come home for dinner."
Turner never imagined that a building that was a part of his professional life would turn into a personal quest for historic salvation.
Much of his motivation stems from the generosity of a longtime South Jordan couple willing to hand over 42 years worth of collectibles.
Turner said they set out years ago to collect all sorts of antiques, everything from a horse-drawn postal buggy to a working Victrola to a 1915 truck. There are all sorts of harnesses, farming implements and even one of the first white grand pianos that ever made it into Utah.
"We want a place where we can put this grand collection and even though the old school is not presently in use, we think this would make a very fine building for our museum."
Turner sees the museum being a vibrant, busy place — a destination point for learning.
"I'm a school man myself, and I know what education should mean to people," he said. "It's very important we help students grow up with an appreciation of what their forebears went through and accomplished, so they can have some pride in them and have a desire born in their hearts to become good constructive citizens like they were."
The former educator envisions busloads of children arriving to tour the museum someday.
"We'll invite fourth-graders whose social studies curriculum is Utah. Teachers could bring them on a bus and trained volunteers take them on a tour of these collections. You can learn more about Utah history in an hour spent in a museum than you can reading in books for a month."
He is hopeful, he says, children will take the lessons of the past and apply them to the future.
"They can see what some of the first trucks looked like and see the vast improvements that have been made. All of these things could inspire our children to want to make a contribution to their society so it can be come better than it is."
E-MAIL: amyjoi@desnews.com
KEITH JOHNSON, DESERET NEWS