Shell’s first public park space part of vision for historic red schoolhouse

Denise Good O’Neal climbed new steps into the Historic Red Shell School and yanked a cord dangling from the ceiling, sending bell chimes reverberating through the little town of Shell on Thursday morning. 

Up until just last fall, however, the school bell was silent. 

O’Neal is president of the current Historic Red Shell School board of directors, and they are on a mission to revamp the school as a community space. 

Constructed in 1915, the schoolhouse is nestled just north of Trapper Creek Road, behind Shell Hall. As its official title suggests, it is a classic, stark red structure emerging from the green of cottonwoods and the blue of the Bighorns. 

Up until 1991, the two-room schoolhouse hosted Shell area students through their elementary years. When it was deserted so students could attend the Greybull school district, the building was set to be removed from the property and relocated to Greybull as a storage building. Shell residents protested and formed the Historic Red Shell School board to protect the structure. Since then, the board has become a registered 501 c(3) nonprofit.

For 30 years, the building was leased as an office space to Jean and Jeff Petty with Shell Valley Consulting. The Pettys helped keep up the property, and their lease paid for the building. This worked out until March, when Shell Valley Consulting moved out. 

“That was a good run with them, but then we were kind of faced with, ‘What do we do now?’” O’Neal said. “So, we decided to go ahead and lean into it: this must be our opportunity. Because our real vision is to have the property outside the building be a park.”

The checklist for that goal goes something like: Get the schoolhouse ready for a new renter to support the building’s costs, secure that renter (ideally a business or organization that will support the community), then build a public park around it all. 

The board has prioritized smaller projects while they save up for the big stuff. So far, they have installed two new porches, worked on plumbing insulation, and of course, repaired the school bell. Next on the agenda is windows, insulation, and the exterior. 

“The first phase we want to complete this year so we can take advantage of the lower costs through the winter to get in shape so we can renovate the inside maybe during the winter or early spring depending on how our fundraising goes,” O’Neal said.

Currently, the board has raised two-thirds of their $75,000 goal for Phase I. The remainder amounts to about the cost of windows. 

There are 12 windows on one side of the schoolhouse, with 11 smaller windows boarded up on the other. Cracks are held together with tape in some places, in others the glass has been replaced with plywood, all blocking a view of the Bighorns. A recent REA energy audit confirmed the building’s need for new glass and insulation. O’Neal said the board has already consulted a contractor, who has ideas on how to improve the building’s energy efficiency while maintaining its historic look. 

A “Buy a Window” campaign, which has been used before for other Shell community buildings, is afoot. This would allow people or businesses to purchase a window, which will then be listed as donated by or in honor of the entity of their choice. Some have already signed on. 

In Phase II, the board hopes to work on the interior. This will include removing the current suspended ceiling and restoring the old plaster one, fixing up the bathroom and possibly refinishing the old hardwood floors, which are currently peeking through worn spots in the linoleum, if funding allows. Hopefully, some of the money will come from grants set to be awarded in the Spring of 2026. O’Neal said the board is “all-in” on making the space viable for a new tenant. 

“If we had a tenant that came forward, we could incorporate some of their needs,” she said. The chalkboards and pencil sharpener stay, though. 

“We’ve heard coffee shops and yoga studios and physical therapy, an art center… we just need somebody to come in and propose something.”

With two rooms and two bathrooms, the building could even potentially host two organizations. 

Then comes the park. Shell currently does not have any public park space; The Hideout allows for the use of Town Square for all their community events. The board sees the schoolhouse yard as an opportunity for a place to play.

“We’ve been able to manage, through this organization, to preserve the building, or at least maintain it, but we haven’t been able to do much for the public good yet, so the park vision is part of the public good,” O’Neal said. “We’ve got a beautiful view of the Bighorn Mountains, we’ve got a huge stately tree that’s over 100 years old; I would love to see an oversized tree swing hanging from that.”

With the help of a designer who specializes in natural playgrounds for museums and towns, the board now envision swings, something to climb on, a picnic area and walking paths. They hope to utilize the topography of the area, with a slide coming off of the Trapper Creek hill that could be used year-round. 

O’Neal’s 95-year-old father, Loren Good, is currently head of landscaping for the property. He attended the Shell school in 1943 for eighth grade and has been a part of the school’s preservation over the years. 

“Something needs to be done, and I want to be a part of it,” he said. 

A big part of supporting the schoolhouse, O’Neal explained, is helping share its story. 

“The stories that come out are just fun, charming and connect people to this place and we’d like to have broader interest in the community to help us preserve this place,” she said. 

Eventually, the schoolhouse will host a collection of photos and history just inside the entrance, with the worn coat hooks and bell pull. The board is currently trying to round up old students of the school for an all-class Shell schoolhouse reunion, which could serve as a fundraiser. 

To donate, volunteer, make suggestions or tour the schoolhouse, contact historicredshellschool@gmail.com or reach out on Facebook at the Historic Red Shell School page.