The Owens Community School was built from 1916 to 1918 in the once thriving community of Owens. The community and school were named for Owen H. Dishong (1850-1902), the first sheriff of DeSoto County, who served from 1887 to 1893 and from 1897 to 1901. He was a charter member of the first church and donated land for the first schoolhouse. Owens was situated between the Peace River and Horse Creek and flourished through the mining of pebble phosphate. The community included a post office, general store, railroad, citrus packing house, Owens Community School, and Mt. Ephraim Baptist Church. The frame school is the only remaining building from the original structures of Owens. It was last used as a school site in 1946, but some original school furnishings remain intact. Over the years it continued to serve as a polling place. In 2000, the School District of DeSoto County refurbished the school and began using it for school district training and recognitions, and historical society and humanities presentations.