National Register of Historic Places

Union School

St. Johns, Clinton County, Michigan
Listed
May 14, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
80001851

About this property

The Union School, also known a Central Elementary School, was an educational building located in St. Johns, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The school building has been replaced by a housing development and the building was removed from the National Register in 2026.. The St Johns school district was founded in 1857; the district re-organized in 1862 and built their second permanent building on this site in 1864. The school burned in early 1885, and construction began on the Union School, the third building constructed for the St. Johns school district, later in the year. It was designed by architecture firm Watkins & Arnold. The building was used as a school by the district until 1986. The district sold the building to private owners, and houses were constructed on the former site of the school in 2000. The St. Johns Union School was a 2-1/2 story red brick building set on a raised stone foundation and topped with a slate roof. The school covered an area 147 feet (45 m) long 74 feet (23 m) wide. It had a central mass with a hip roof and two T-shaped wings, also with hip roofs. Broad gable roof dormers broke up the roofline on the front facade, and a square belfry tops the center mass. The exterior decoration included Tudor Revival elements on the entrance surrounds, and first- and second-floor window hoods. On the interior, classrooms were located in the main masses, with the narrow connecting "T" legs containing stairways, a library, and administration offices. When it was constructed, the building had state-of-the-art lighting, heating, ventilation, and fireproofing. Jean Martin (1985), A Brief History of Central School, St. Johns, Michigan, 1885-1985, Central School Centennial Committee

Location

205 W. Baldwin St.
St. Johns, Clinton County, Michigan
42.99772, -84.56082

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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.

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Questions about this property

When was Union School listed on the National Register?

Union School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 14, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Union School?

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

What is the period of significance for Union School?

The period of significance for Union School is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Union School?

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