Michigan One Room Schoolhouses

Saturday, September 12, 2020

MECOSTA COUNTY

Unknown School

LOCATION: 21009 205th Avenue

Corner of 21 Mile Road and 205^th Avenue in Section 34 of Green Charter Township near Big Rapids

Current Use: Unknown

If you have any information regarding this school, please leave a message in the COMMENTS section following this post.

Little River School (1905-1935)

LOCATION: 9003 90th Avenue at School Section Lake Veterans Park

Northeast corner of 90th Avenue and 9 Mile Road, Section 15 or 16 of Morton Township

In 2012, Little River School was added to the list of Michigan Historic Sites.

The Paulson House was designated a Michigan Historic Site on February 11, 1972. According to the signage, the upper floor of the cabin was used as a district school in the early part of the 20th century. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 9, 1972.

Location: From M-94 in Au Trainturn south onto Au Train Forest Lake Road in Au Train Township – the log cabin will be on the west side of the road.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

OGEMAW COUNTY

Atherton School

LOCATION: Corner of Henderson Lake Road and M-55 in Section 25, Churchill Township

Current Use: Private Residence

Thursday, May 24, 2018

GLADWIN COUNTY

Podunk School (1904)

LOCATION: Southeast corner of Shearer Road and Ziemer Road in Section 9, Sage Township

Current Use: Unknown

There is not much left of the town of Podunk but the schoolhouse still stands.

Zion Evangelical Lutheran School (1916-1925)

LOCATION: 3557 N Oberlin Road in Section 35, Sherman Township

(just north of M-18 on the west side of the road)

Current Use: Private Residence

Designated a Michigan Historic Site on November 20, 1987

ARENAC COUNTY

Maple Grove School (1889-1955)

LOCATION: Southeast corner of Hull Road and Conrad Road in Section 29, Arenac Township

Current Use: Church

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

MISSAUKEE COUNTY

Star City School

LOCATION: From Highway 127 (Houghton Lake - Exit 194) go about 9 miles west on M-55 to Star City Road – turn north on Star City Road for about 3 miles. The school is on the east side of Star City Road (just north of Wagner Road) in Section 24, West Branch Township

Current Use: Privately Owned – used for storage

Thursday, November 3, 2016

MUSKEGON COUNTY

Johnson School (1894-1946)

LOCATION: 17460 Sherman Blvd, Casnovia in Section 35, Casnovia Township

School is on the north side of Sherman Blvd between Newaygo Road and Peters Road

Current Use: Museum

While driving around Muskegon County, we were unable to locate the following schools:

- Maple Island School in Cedar Creek Township (burned down Nov. 13, 2009)

Michigan One-Room Schoolhouses

I enjoy traveling and history and I document everything through another hobby – photography. Among my favorite subjects to photograph are one-room schoolhouses.

Okay, I am going to date myself but I attended a one-room school (Price School in Victor Township, Clinton County). The building was sold a long time ago and a field of corn now grows where the schoolhouse once stood. If anyone has a photo of Price School I would love to receive a copy!!

Those schoolhouses that have survived may now serve as museums through preservation efforts by local historical societies. Some have been converted into private residences, businesses, or are used by local government units. Unfortunately, most have been torn down or have been left in a state of decay. These disappearing structures represent a piece of history and looking for them is like going on a scavenger hunt.

Most schools were named after the land owner who provided the land for the school, a nearby town, or a local natural feature. Price School was named after its location (northeast corner of Price and Chandler Roads).

Everyday I walked about a mile to Price School – uphill, in the snowy winter, carrying my books … okay, during good weather I rode my bike. Since children walked to school back then, these one-room schools were built every few miles – depending on available funds and population of school-age children. Often the one-room schools were located in the township’s sixteenth section because that was the center of the township.

Like most one-room country schools, Price School had one front entry door but a few schools had separate doors – one for the boys and one for the girls.

Generally schoolhouses were painted white (cheaper) but there are some schools painted red. In Michigan, wood was plentiful and it was the most often used material for building the school. However, brick (and a few stone) schoolhouses were built too.

So, when we travel through each county in Michigan, I always keep watching and hoping to photograph these buildings before they disappear from the rural landscape that is part of our American history.

This blog site will be a work in progress. Each time I discover and photograph a historic schoolhouse, I will add that photo and whatever information I have on the school by editing the blog post that corresponds to the Michigan County the schoolhouse is located.

Please respect private property and view those former schoolhouses from the public right-of-way.

Some information (e.g. school names or dates) contained in this blog was obtained from Historical Societies, the Michigan One-Room Schoolhouse Association, or County Equalization Departments.