Country Schools
Country schools, the old fashioned "one room schoolhouses" that people from more urban areas often associate with "The Waltons" and "Little House on the Prairie" were in operation in Newaygo County and the surrounding area until well into the 1960's, although few of the original structures remain standing today. A surprising number of these have been converted into private residences, and must make very interesting houses. Others have been converted into meeting halls or community buildings, but most lie in ruin or are gone all together.
Some Muskegon and Oceana sites have recently been added, but the list for these counties is still incomplete.
|
Name |
Township |
Sec. |
Location |
Image |
Notes |
Status |
|
Applegarth School |
Ashland |
34 |
McClelland between 140th
& 136th |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Ashland Station School |
Ashland |
36 |
136th ~1/4 mile east of
M37 (Mason) |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Dickinson School |
Ashland |
31 |
136th & Alger |
|
Ruins of original
structure standing, now part of farm |
|
|
Patterson School |
Ashland |
9 |
112th & Wisner |
|
|
Now a private residence |
|
Stannard/ Lempish(?)
School |
Ashland |
12 |
104th & Gordon |
Map indicates Lempish(?),
sign says Stannard |
Now a private residence |
|
|
Wheat School |
Ashland |
28 |
Wisner ~1 mile north of
136th |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Davenport School |
Barton |
13 |
15 Mile & Beech |
|
|
|
|
Duvis School |
Barton |
3 |
17 Mile & Cypress |
|
|
|
|
Stone School |
Barton |
29 |
14 Mile & Elm |
|
|
|
|
Torrey School |
Barton |
12 |
17 Mile & Beech |
|
|
|
|
Beaver School |
Beaver |
26 |
8 Mile & Stone |
|
|
|
|
Hardscrabble School |
Beaver |
1 |
11 Mile & Warner |
|
|
|
|
Target School |
Beaver |
30 |
Polk & Dickinson |
|
|
|
|
Volney School |
Beaver |
7 |
Grant (?) & Dickinson,
1/2 mile north of 10 Mile |
|
|
|
|
Barton School |
Big Prairie |
8 |
12th & Locust |
|
Still appears to be
structurally sound, but quite dilapidated. Posted No Trespassing,
appears to be on private property. Very interesting. |
|
|
Big Bend School |
Big Prairie |
15 |
Cottonwood south of 16th
at Hardy Pond |
|
|
|
|
Forward School |
Big Prairie |
21 |
Elm ~1/2 mile north of
20th |
|
|
|
|
Germantown School |
Big Prairie |
3 |
4th & Cherry |
|
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Thompson School |
Big Prairie |
26 |
Beech ~1/4 mile south of
36th |
|
|
No sign of original
structure, but there is an open space in the trees where the building
may have stood. |
|
Anscomb School |
Bridgeton |
29 |
Ftizgerald? |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Bridgeton School |
Bridgeton |
13 |
East of Rich between
Warner & Luce |
|
|
|
|
Jibson School |
Bridgeton |
5 |
104th at Dickinson |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure. |
|
Palmer School |
Bridgeton |
17 |
116th & Fitzgerald |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Schanck/Schenck School |
Bridgeton |
1 |
96th & Warner |
|
Structure intact, former
4H site |
|
|
Gifford School |
Brooks |
11 |
Croton ~1/3 mile west of
Poplar |
|
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Green Pine School |
Croton |
26 |
M82 (Formerly M46, aka
88th) & Beech |
|
|
|
|
Oak Grove School |
Croton |
20 |
80th & Elm |
|
|
|
|
Dayton Center School |
Dayton |
21 |
24th & Green |
|
Now a private residence |
|
|
Donahue School |
Dayton |
11 |
8th & Warner |
|
|
|
|
Doud School |
Dayton |
8 |
16th & Dickinson |
|
|
|
|
Lorden School |
Dayton |
34 |
M82 & Green |
No |
|
Now a strip mall and
funeral home |
|
Packard School |
Dayton |
27 |
32nd & Stone |
|
Now the Dayton Township
hall |
|
|
Tyndall School |
Dayton |
32 |
40th ~1/4 mile west of
Dickinson |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Walker School |
Dayton |
4 |
8th & Brucker |
|
|
|
|
Waters School |
Dayton |
24 |
32nd & Luce |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Denver School |
Denver |
27 |
Jefferson & Groesbeck |
|
|
|
|
Huber School |
Denver |
8 |
VanBuren & Comstock |
|
|
|
|
Waterman School |
Denver |
18 |
~1/4 north of 3 Mile on
Dickinson |
|
|
|
|
Baptist Lake School |
Ensley |
14 |
120th & Butternut |
|
|
|
|
Crandall School |
Ensley |
35 |
136th & Beech |
|
|
|
|
Flowing Well School |
Ensley |
8 |
104th & Locust |
|
|
|
|
Frey School |
Ensley |
31 |
136th & Locust |
|
|
|
|
Hillman School |
Ensley |
10 |
104th & Cypress |
|
|
|
|
Kinney School |
Ensley |
11 |
104th & Beech |
|
|
|
|
Pangborn School |
Ensley |
34 |
136th & Cypress |
|
|
|
|
Spring Valley School |
Ensley |
20 |
120th ~1/4 west of Locust |
|
|
|
|
Bigelow School |
Everett |
28 |
32nd & Walnut |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Fry School |
Everett |
24 |
28th & Oak |
|
Seems structurally sound
and has electrical connection, but appears abandoned. |
|
|
Pleasant Valley School |
Everett |
1 |
8th & Oak |
|
|
No sign of original
structure, may now be a private residence. |
|
Tripp School |
Everett |
36 |
40th & Oak |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Butler School |
Garfield |
8 |
Wysteria (Angle Road) &
Croswell |
|
Now a private residence |
|
|
Garfield Center School |
Garfield |
15 |
M82 & Bingham |
|
Now the Garfield Township
hall. |
|
|
Kimball Lake School |
Garfield |
2 |
Ferris ~1/4 mile north of
56th |
|
|
|
|
South Garfield School |
Garfield |
32 |
88th & Baldwin |
|
Ruins only |
|
|
Dudgeon School |
Goodwell |
32 |
1 Mile & Hemlock |
|
|
|
|
Fetterley School |
Goodwell |
10 |
5 Mile & Cypress |
|
|
|
|
Graham School |
Goodwell |
35 |
1 Mile & Beech |
|
|
|
|
Nestly School |
Goodwell |
19 |
3 Mile & Locust |
|
|
|
|
Renolds School |
Goodwell |
5 |
5 Mile & Locust |
|
|
|
|
Smith School |
Goodwell |
11 |
5 Mile & Beech |
|
|
|
|
Island School |
Grant |
24 |
120th ~1/4 mile west of
Peach |
|
|
|
|
Pleasant Valley School |
Grant |
16 |
120th & Walnut |
No |
|
Now site of Grant
Township hall |
|
Rice Lake School |
Grant |
1 |
104th & Oak |
|
|
|
|
Salem School |
Grant |
5 |
104th & Willow |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Train School |
Grant |
27 |
132nd & Spruce |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Windsell(?) School |
Grant |
30 |
132nd & Willow |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Big Jackson School |
Home |
36 |
13 Mile & Oak |
|
|
|
|
Little Jackson School |
Home |
20 |
14 Mile & Walnut |
|
|
|
|
Riverside School |
Home |
8 |
16 Mile 1/4 mile east of
Walnut |
|
|
|
|
Whipple School |
Home |
13 |
15 Mile & Pine |
|
|
|
|
Block School |
Lilley |
2 |
17 Mile & Gordon |
|
|
|
|
Lilley School |
Lilley |
23 |
15 Mile ~1/2 mile west of
M37 |
|
|
|
|
Birch Grove School |
Lincoln |
11 |
5 Mile & Felch |
|
|
|
|
Cole Creek School |
Lincoln |
26 |
1 Mile (M-20) & Ferris |
|
|
|
|
Lincoln Center School |
Lincoln |
21 |
Wisner Ave between 2 & 3
Mile |
|
|
|
|
Ramona School |
Lincoln |
24 (13?) |
3 Mile & Mundy (?) |
|
|
|
|
Water's School |
Lincoln |
17 |
4 Mile 1/2 mile east of
Alger |
|
|
|
|
Brohman School |
Merrill |
24 |
Pierce & M-37 |
|
|
|
|
Foxville School |
Monroe |
24 |
Buchanan & Oak |
|
|
|
|
VanAslen School |
Monroe |
17 |
Lincoln & Walnut |
|
|
|
|
Cole School |
Norwich |
29 |
7 Mile & Elm |
|
|
|
|
Hatfield School |
Norwich |
35 |
7 Mile & Cottonwood |
|
|
|
|
Hungerford School |
Norwich |
15 |
Cyprus ~1/4 mile north of
M20/9 Mile |
|
|
|
|
Hill School |
Sheridan |
24 |
80th & Warner |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Kempf School |
Sheridan |
32 |
92nd & Fitzgerald |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Reeman School |
Sheridan |
7 |
56th & Dickinson |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Vanmomtaar (?) School |
Sheridan |
13 |
M82 (Warner) ~1/4 mile
south of 64th |
|
Now VFW hall |
|
|
Lakeview School |
Sherman |
35 |
40th & Ferris |
No |
|
No sign of original
structure |
|
Robinson Lake School |
Sherman |
10 |
Echo Drive ~1/2 mile west
of Bingham |
|
|
|
|
Roottown/Root-Town School |
Sherman |
33 |
48th & Baldwin |
|
Now a private residence |
|
|
Wooster School |
Sherman |
20 |
28th & Baldwin |
|
|
|
|
Troy School |
Troy |
32 |
13 Mile & Dickinson |
|
|
|
|
Unknown School |
Troy |
8 |
16 Mile ~1/2 mile west of
Dickinson |
|
|
|
|
Fulverson School |
Wilcox |
35 |
1 Mile & Thornapple |
|
|
No obvious signs of
original structure, but a shed in the woods behind a private residence
could be from the school. |
|
River Valley School |
Wilcox |
20 |
2 Mile & M37 |
|
Now the Wilcox Township
hall. |
|
|
Roman School |
Wilcox |
23 |
Monroe & Thornapple |
|
|
No sign of original
structure. Now the site of the Wilcox Township transfer station. |
| Muskegon County (List incomplete) | ||||||
| Maple Island ? | Muskegon Co. | Unk. | Maple Island Road | 1, 2 | Name unknown, this school sits near a large log cabin construction operation | Obviously abandoned but still in reasonable condition. |
| Oceana County (List incomplete) | ||||||
| Elbridge School | Oceana Co. | Unk. | 138th & Polk | Original building gone, now a Head Start | ||
| Gale School | Oceana Co. | Unk. | Buchanon between 164th & 168th | 1 | Now a private residence and business | |
| Herrin School | Oceana Co. | Unk. | 172nd & Loop NE | Cupola may have been mounted on garage | Now a private residence | |
| May School | Oceana Co. | Unk. | 144th & Filmore NE | No evidence beyond an open lot surrounded by a field | ||
| McGill School | Oceana Co. | Unk. | 192nd between Loop and Grant | 1 | Cupola still intact | Now a private residence |
| Rothburn School | Oceana Co. | Unk. | 144th & Buchanon SW | 1 | Good condition, homes nearby | |
| Shaw School | Oceana Co. | Unk. | 144th & Polk | No evidence | ||
| Sturtevant School | Oceana Co. | Unk. | 184th & Garfield NE | No evidence, home now at this site | ||