The Bloomfield Schoolhouse Groundbreaking: August 20, 2026

On Thursday, August 20, more than 50 people gathered at 3020 US-20 in LaGrange to watch Marion and Greg Wiggins break ground on the final phase of the Bloomfield Schoolhouse restoration. Members of the LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce, neighbors, friends, Marion's church family from LaGrange United Methodist Church, and family who traveled all the way from New Hampshire came to share the moment. The LaGrange Standard and KPC Media were there to cover it.

It was the kind of afternoon that reminds you why building something in a small town is worth every hard year it takes to get there.

How It All Began

Marion never imagined she would one day be a lavender farmer in Northeast Indiana. Originally from Arizona, she studied in Boston, attended graduate school in St. Louis, and taught in San Antonio. Small-town life and agriculture were not part of the plan. In 2018, Greg accepted a position as Chief Nurse Anesthetist at Parkview LaGrange Hospital and the family moved to LaGrange with a simple mindset: give it three years and reevaluate.

What they found was something deeper than a temporary stop. They fell in love with the community. Its commitment to family, its parks and libraries, its schools, and the values woven into everyday life made LaGrange feel like home long before the three years were up.

Then COVID arrived. Like many families, they needed a project. That is when the historic Bloomfield Township Schoolhouse came on the market.

The Schoolhouse

Built in 1904, the Bloomfield Township Schoolhouse served generations of local children as a place of learning, laughter, and community life. A three-room brick Italianate building, it was the center of rural education in Bloomfield Township for decades. Over time, as school systems consolidated, buildings like it disappeared across the region. Today only a small number of rural schoolhouses remain in LaGrange County. This one is among them.

When Marion and Greg first found it, the windows were broken, plaster was crumbling from the walls, and nature had begun reclaiming parts of the structure. Marion had always said that if the schoolhouse ever became available, she wanted to see it. So they toured it. Then they made an offer.

The restoration began slowly and carefully. The goal was never to erase the past, but to honor it. As work progressed, something unexpected happened. People from the community started stopping by. Some would say they had gone to school there. Others shared stories of a parent or grandparent who had taught in those very classrooms. What started as a personal project became something much larger. The schoolhouse was part of the community's collective memory.

The building was eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, opening the door to historic tax credits and a National Park Service approved restoration plan.

The Lavender Fields

Restoration takes time. The Wiggins family does not sit still easily. So they planted lavender.

Lavender felt practical. It thrives in full sun, prefers sandy soil, and once established requires very little water. It was something the whole family could do together and it gave life to the property while the schoolhouse work moved forward. They planted their first rows and waited. By the following summer, Bloomfield was at its first farmers market with simple lavender bunches, dried wreaths, and a few small products. They sold out every weekend.

Customers began asking for more. Lotion. Candles. Oil rollers. Culinary products. Marion listened and started creating based on what people were requesting. One product at a time, the Bloomfield line grew. Today, Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender has more than 7,500 lavender plants across three fields and a downtown LaGrange apothecary that opened in November 2024. The product line has grown to more than 40 SKUs of skincare, body care, sleep and wellness products, and culinary goods, shaped almost entirely by what the community asked for.

Marion's Words on Thursday

Standing in front of the crowd that had gathered to celebrate, Marion spoke about the history of Bloomfield and the road that led to this afternoon. For those who have followed the business from the beginning, hearing her tell that story in front of the building that has been central to the vision from day one was something worth standing still for.

What the Restoration Will Become

The groundbreaking on August 20 marks the beginning of the final interior restoration phase, expected to wrap up this November. When the work is complete, the schoolhouse will become the true home of Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender.

The basement will house a full production kitchen where all Bloomfield products will be made, moving production out of the family home and onto the land where the lavender is grown. Lavender harvested from the three fields will be dried in the building rather than offsite. Everything under one roof, on the land where it all started.

The main level will serve as an event space. Marion plans to host community events there and open it for weddings and private gatherings. The schoolhouse grounds will also see new lavender plantings, extending the farm further across the property.

A Note of Gratitude

Thank you to everyone who came out on August 20. To the chamber, to the congregation, to the neighbors, to the press, and to the family who flew in from New Hampshire to be there: it meant everything.

The wide plank floors of the schoolhouse still creak beneath footsteps. The tall windows still pour natural light into the rooms. When the doors open this fall, that building will do what it was always meant to do. It will bring people together.

We will keep you posted as restoration progresses. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram for updates, and we will see you at the apothecary in the meantime.

With gratitude,
Marion, Greg, and the Bloomfield Schoolhouse Lavender family