National Register of Historic Places

Ontonagon School

Ontonagon, Ontonagon County, Michigan
Listed
May 24, 2011
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
11000308

About this property

The Ontonagon School is a former school building located at 301 Greenland Road in Ontonagon, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 25, 2011. The Ontonagon School was originally constructed in 1912 as a high school, and was designed by architect Derrick Hubert. The school was officially opened at the start of the 1913-1914 school year. Much of the building was rebuilt following a fire in 1929. In 1938, a two-story addition for elementary schooling, designed by architect A.B. Nelson of the Warren S. Holmes Company, was constructed next to the original high school building. The addition was connected to the original building on the southeast side via an annex corridor. A third single-story section of the building was constructed in 1967 to expand the school to meet the needs of the local population. The third building section was connected to the second section on the southeast side. Also in 1967, the high school moved to another building (located on Parker Avenue) and the entire structure was used as an elementary school. The school was in continuous use until 2010, when the district consolidated all grades into the building on Parker Avenue. In December 2011, the Ontonagon school board accepted an offer, made by an undisclosed private party, to purchase the building. The Ontonagon School consists of three connected buildings, constructed in 1912, 1938 and 1967. The 1938 addition is the most historically significant. This addition, constructed to house grade school children, was designed to be child-friendly. The building features stained-glass art, elaborate floor and wall tiling depicting fairytale characters, built-in child-sized benches, and reversing blackboards. The kindergarten room features a gingerbread entryway with coachlamps on each side, tilework with the Big Bad Wolf chasing the Three Little Pigs, and an Art Deco fish pond with fountain. On the second floor is a small children's theatre with a stage. The school district discontinued use of this building after 2010 when the K-12 population was consolidated into the Ontonagon Area Senior High Building (701 Parker Ave.) that was constructed in 1967 and subsequently remodeled in 2010 to accommodate the K - 5 students, the last students to occupy the old building at 301 Greenland Road.

Location

301 Greenland Rd.
Ontonagon, Ontonagon County, Michigan
46.86857, -89.30941

Categories

ARCHITECTUREARTEDUCATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Ontonagon School

This page lists Ontonagon School. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Ontonagon School report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Ontonagon County Courthouse
Industrial
0.4 mi
Ontonagon Lighthouse
Industrial
0.6 mi
Ontonagon Harbor Piers Historic District
Modern
1.1 mi
Bergland Administrative Site
Industrial
23 mi

Questions about this property

When was Ontonagon School listed on the National Register?

Ontonagon School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 2011.

What type of historic resource is Ontonagon School?

Ontonagon School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Ontonagon School?

The period of significance for Ontonagon School is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Ontonagon School?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Ontonagon School will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Ontonagon County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Ontonagon County.

Explore OntonagonCounty ›

More historic places in Michigan

Browse all historic places in Michigan.

View Michiganhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Michigan history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Michiganhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Ontonagon School will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report