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You can live in an old high school gym for $299K. It's half basketball court, half house.

Dana Hunsinger Benbow, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read

A spacious, 11,000-square-foot single-family residence, nestled among farm fields in Wilkinson, Indiana, went on the market last week. From the outside, it doesn't look much like a house at all.

But what's inside the home has the real estate and sports world swooning.

Half basketball court. Half house.

"This is an honest-to-goodness treat," says the listing on F.C. Tucker. "A rare opportunity for your very own high school gym."

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Yes, this "house" that sits on 3.6 acres is the former Wilkinson High School gym built in 1950. Its commercial status has been rezoned to residential and the home has been converted into a space with four bedrooms, three baths, a great room, spacious kitchen, play room and much more.

It's a bizarre, only-in-basketball-crazed-Indiana, real estate offering. The home is just eight miles from the gym in Knightstown where "Hoosiers" was filmed.

The kitchen of the home, which features original maple court flooring.
The kitchen of the home, which features original maple court flooring.

The house won't be on the market for long, said Roy Wilson, the listing agent with F. C. Tucker. His phone has been buzzing constantly the past week.

It has been shown 20 times and has three offers, he said, with a sale pending.

Inside, it has half a basketball court with the original goal and original maple flooring, about 6,000 square feet.

"New living space with huge rooms has been added to balance the building," the listing says. That living space is more than 5,000 square feet.

The master bedroom is on the upper level of the home. That upper level looks over the gym.
The master bedroom is on the upper level of the home. That upper level looks over the gym.

Wilson, 71, has a history with the home. He went to school at Wilkinson and graduated in the gym. He also played basketball there, "poorly," he says. His wife is a retired teacher from the school.

The interest in the home doesn't surprise Wilson. "The history, the uniqueness, the size, the charm," he said. "And the affordability." After all, 11,000 square feet for $299,000 is a pretty good deal.

"The whole town, the whole community," he said. "It's been quite the buzz."

You can read more about the Wilkinson Gym and more Indiana gems like it in Kyle Neddenriep's "Historic Hoosier Gyms" book.

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Real estate: Live in old HS gym for $299K. Half court, half house