Built 1876 (1876) NRHP Reference # 80001850 Opened 1876 Added to NRHP 12 May 1980 | Architect Oliver Hidden Designated MSHS February 27, 1980 Area 2 ha | |
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Location 106 N. Traver St., St. Johns, Michigan | ||
The East Ward School, also known as the Teresa Merrill School, was an educational building located at 106 North Traver Street in St. Johns, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It was unusual for its size and its elaborate brickwork. The school building has been replaced with a housing development and a preschool.
Contents
History
The East Ward School was constructed in 1876 from plans by Bay City architect Oliver Hidden. An addition was constructed in 1906. In 1976, the school was renamed the Theresa Merrill School in honor of a former principal, and was used for adult education classes. It was replaced with a housing development and a preschool in 2003.
Description
The East Ward School was a single-story brick structure consisting of two sections: the original building, constructed in 1876, and a 1906 addition. The 1876 building was a rectangular structure, with a low hip roof with a gable at each end. A projecting entrance had an arced, recessed porch topped with another gable. The brickwork contained an elaborate decorative scheme with corbelled and paneled bricks. There were two rooms in the interior.
The 1906 addition was approximately the same size as the earlier section, and also contained two rooms. It had a high hip roof and brickwork that matched that of the earlier section.
A bell tower which was originally above the front entrance to the older section had been removed. In addition, the original narrow windows of the older section had been removed and replaced with wider windows which matched the newer section.