Plainfield Avenue School
SW 1/4 Sec 18 GRT
December 15, 1882
Charles A. Provin and Margaret M. Provin, his wife
To
The Board of Education
Liber 149 page 109
Consideration, $1800
Description
Lots 1, 2 an 3 of Block 9 of A. L. Skinner's Addition. CE
April 12, 1884
Adelia A. Wisner
To
The Board of Education
Liber 156 page 434
Consideration, $650
Description
Lot 4 of Block 8 of A. L. Skinner's AdditionCE
A L Skinner's Addition surveyed by Muenscher in 1873 for Adolphus and Lucinda Skinner. Street Name Changes: Reed renamed Lafayette in 1892, Madison renamed Spencer in 1899.
1883 - Fifth Ward, Lot 150' on Plainfield 200 ' deep purchased last fall for $1800. There should be built at once a six room brick building on this lot, to relieve Ionia Street and Coldbrook schools.
1884 -Construction of two-story four-room brick building. Additional lot of 50' purchased for $200 making the site 200' x 200'. The building is about finished and should open October 1st.
1885 - The Collar Greiner map shows this school shaped like an L on lots 2 and 3 of Skinner's Addition.
1887 - Enlarged school from six rooms to ten rooms and now heated by steam..
1888 - Four room addition completed in October, three rooms occupied. Value $28,000.
1891 - Fifth Ward Ten rooms with sittings for 500 pupils.
1894 - A drive well was put down.
1895 - Is located in the Fifth Ward on Plainfield Avenue between Quimby Street and Hanover court. Closets in the basement which are connected with city water and sewer. $700 was expended during the vacation on a boiler.
1895 Sanborn Fire Map:
1905 - Plumbing condemned
1907 Section 18 Ogle GRT No change
1913 Sanborn Fire Map shows alterations made by the City Assessor. If you look carefully you can just make out the school. The Assessor shows where Lafayette went through and where (A&P) Eberhard's Grocery Store was built in relation to the school. Something I always wondered about as a child while my dad drove us to this grocery store every Thursday evening and my mom would declare, "We're driving through where my school used to be."
1914 - plans to install a fire escape
1921 Annual Report - old 5th Ward - Lots 1-4 block 8 A L Skinner's Addition
1933 - closed
1953 Sanborn Fire Map shows this change which must have occurred between 1925 (based on my mother's age) and 1953. The lot addresses are 1522 and 1532 Plainfield.
From article School History
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info