The Empire School is a school building located at 10017 West Front Street in Empire, Michigan.
Empire School | |
 | |
   | |
| Location | 10017 W. Front St., Empire, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°48′39″N 86°3′32″W / 44.81083°N 86.05889°W |
| Area | 1.1 acres (0.45 ha) |
| Built | 1900 1905 |
| Built by | George Snell |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000222[1] |
| Added to NRHP | March 27, 2008 |
History edit
The first school in Empire was the schooner "The Empire," from which the town derives its name.[2] The schooner was icebound in the Empire harbor during the winter of 1865. In 1867, a permanent school building was constructed on Brotherton Road. A new two-story school was constructed in 1891. This school, however, was destroyed by fire in 1899.[3] As a stopgap, classes were held in the Maccabees Hall until a replacement school could be built.[2]
The district decided their new school should be a top-quality, four-room schoolhouse.[3] A new site was purchased, and construction began in 1900,[2] with an initial payment to contractor George Snell.[4] The new Empire School was completed in 1901.[5] A gymnasium was added in 1932, using funds available from the Works Progress Administration.[3] An old machinery storage shed was moved to the school property to house shop classes. In 1941, a small school building, the Boynton school, was moved from its original location to the Empire School to provide space for kindergarten classes.
However, school enrollment was declining.[3] In 1958, several local school districts, including Empire, consolidated to form Glen Lake Community Schools.[5] By 1968, the Empire School shut its doors. A series of owners purchased the property for speculative ventures, and it was re-roofed in 2004, but the ventures did not pan out. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.[1] As of 2017, a local group was attempting to convert the school into a community center.[6][7]
Description edit
The Empire School is a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) L-plan single story structure,[3] and includes four classrooms and a gymnasium.[8] It clad in clapboard. The school contains two sections: the original section is a square-plan building containing the four classrooms. This section has a hipped roof with a smaller gable at each end and square cupola in the center. The main entrance to the building is off-center in the north facade. The second section, containing the gymnasium, is a rectangular, gable-roof addition to the original building.[4]
References edit
- ^ a b "National Register Information System – (#08000222)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c Lula F. Beatty. "Schooner served as first Empire school". Leelanau News.
- ^ a b c d e Staff (July 3, 2003). "Is the Empire Schoolhouse a goldmine or a Pandora's box?". Glen Arbor Sun.
- ^ a b Robert O. Christensen (July 2007), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Empire School
- ^ a b Thoman Benn (November 11, 2004). "Acquisition of Empire schoolhouse sets changes in motion". Glen Arbor Sun.
- ^ Staff (March 14, 2012). "Empire groups attempts to revive community center". Glen Arbor Sun.
- ^ Linda Alice Dewey (May 23, 2017). "Red lights turn green for Empire schoolhouse project". Glen Arbor Sun.
- ^ Nadine Gilmer (July 26, 2012). "Dreaming of Empire". Glen Arbor Sun.