Michigan One Room Schoolhouses: OTSEGO COUNTY

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

OTSEGO COUNTY

Red School District No. 5 (1884-1951)

LOCATION: Otsego County Fairgrounds, 275 Fairview Rd, Gaylord, MI

The school was originally located on the northwest corner of Old U-27 and Parmater Road. In 1987, the school was moved to the Otsego County Fairgrounds. The desks, lights, and stove are original fixtures of the school. I was told the bell in the tower is original to the school too.
Current Use: Museum

Big Lake School (1905-1971)

LOCATION: 1737 Big Lake Road, Gaylord

Current Use: Chester Township Hall

According to the Chester Township website, the present township hall was acquired from Big Lake School in January of 1967. Since then, the building has been renovated and an addition was built in 1997.

Oley Lake School

LOCATION: 5675 Oley Lake Road

Southeast corner of M-32 and Oley Lake Road

Current Use: Abandoned

I called Chester Township Hall to confirm this was a school and former township hall.

Marquardt (District #3) School

LOCATION: 2985 Marquardt Road, Section 17 in Dover Township

(northeast corner of Marquardt Road and Seymore Road)

Current Use: Dover Township Hall

Sparr (District #2) School (1905)

School & Plaque

LOCATION: 1018 Marquardt Road, Gaylord, Section 20 in Dover Township

(northwest corner of Marquardt Road and Sparr Road)

This school may have been also known as the Wheeler School.

Current Use: Vacant (had been private residence)

Shaff (District #3) School

LOCATION: Northeast corner of Shaff Road and Martindale Road, Section 1 in Elmira Township

Current Use: Privately Owned (it appears some remodeling work is being done to this stone building)

Hallenius (District #2) School

LOCATION: Southeast Corner of Hallenius Road and M-32, Section 35 in Elmira Township

This school may have been also known as Teeter School

Current Use: Private Residence

Murner School

LOCATION: Southwest corner of Murner Road and Parameter Road, Section 19 in Livingston Twp

This school may have been also known as Poor Farm School.

Current Use: Church - Our Lady of the Snows Chapel

While driving through Otsego County, we noted the status on the following one-room schools:

- Whitmarsh School in Dover Twp (Peanut Hill Rd between Whitmarsh & Winnie Hill Rd) – GONE

- King School in Chester Township – a comment on this blog states it was hit by a car in October 2013 and damaged beyond repair.

- Fox School in Elmira Township (Section 25, N Town Line Road) – GONE

2 comments:

UnknownJune 13, 2017 at 7:22 PM
The King school was hit by a car in October 2013. Damaged beyond repair.
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Replies
UnknownJanuary 6, 2018 at 4:24 PM
The Oley Lake school wasn't demolished, I pass it every time I drive to Gaylord....
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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.