Michigan One Room Schoolhouses: Beckley School

Friday, November 13, 2015

CALHOUN COUNTY

Battle Creek (aka Beckley) School (1859-1957)

LOCATION: 3019 Beckley Road, Battle Creek

(Northeast corner of Helmer and Beckley Roads in Battle Creek Township)

Current Use: Unknown - it is a Michigan Historic Site (August 27, 1970)

Duck Lake School (1883-1888)

LOCATION: At the curve of U Drive and 26 1/2 Mile Road in Clarence Township

Current Use: Unknown – it is a Michigan Historic Site

Kellogg School (1873-1960)

LOCATION: At the northeast corner of 28 Mile Road and M Drive in Clarence Township

Current Use: Privately Owned

Capitol Hill School (1860-1961)

LOCATION: 603 Washington St, Marshall

Across from the County Fairgrounds at the corner of Maple and Washington Streets. In 1971, this 2-room brick school was designated a Michigan Historic Site. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Current Use: Museum

Houston School District No. 1

Houston School - Exterior & Interior

LOCATION: Calhoun County Fairgrounds, 720 Fair St, Marshall

The school was originally located on C Drive South in Fredonia Township. In 2005, it was moved to the County Fairgrounds.

Current Use: Museum

Bell School

LOCATION: Originally the Bell School was located in Clarence Township. The school bell was donated by the Glendon Gifford family and is now located at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds in Marshall next to the Houston School.

Current Use: Museum

Cleveland School

LOCATION: The Cleveland School was originally located on the Southwest corner of L Drive North and 14 Mile Road in Marshall Township. In 2011, the family of “Pete” Whitney donated the bell to be displayed next to the Houston School at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds in Marshall.

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.