Sibley Street School 1891 Group
Part of the NE 1/4 NE 1/4 Sec 26 Walker Twp.
27 April 1891
Joseph Miskiewitcz & Annie his wife
to
Bd of Ed of City of Grand Rapids
Consideration, $500
E 1/2, commencing from the SW corner of NE 1/4 of the NE ¼ of Sec 26 T7N R12W
(Lane Ave and Sibley St)
thence North 4 chains (264 feet),
thence East 5 chains (330 feet),
thence South 4 chains,
thence West 5 chains
(which would be the same as just saying commence 165 feet east of the SW corner
of (Lane and Sibley), thence N 264 feet,
thence E 165 feet,
thence S 264 feet
thence W 165 west to the point of beginning.
1891 - City annexed land west of Garfield but built a new school east of Garfield. It is unclear if any actual school building was annexed.
This land was first deeded to John Ball. The City annexed it in
1857. It appears that it was still unplatted land
at the time the Bd of Ed purchased it from Miskievwitcz but it appears that he
may have bought a sheriff's deed (for back taxes)
from someone named Husemunn. There were many tax papers in the Bd of Ed
Manuscript Collection at the Service Building. .
I have marked in blue the "school lot".
Later additional land was purchased from three plats: Holcomb, Tusch, and Robert's. There are also references to Rich's Land but I don't know what that means. I have found many deeds with their location designated as so many feet from the school lot. I have found deeds where the Bd of Ed acquired land to the west of the "School Lot" in the 1920's when I think the present school (demolished in 2006) was built. I have found deeds for the land to the east (right) in the 1950's when playgrounds became 'in". I believe the land in Robert's addition was acquired in the 1970's when Straight School was moved to Chatham but I have more work to do there.
1891 - Eighth Ward, lot 165 feet on Sibley street x 231 feet deep. Value $2,500. No description of any building.
1892 - School built. A two-story and basement brick building, slate roof, steam heated, and closets in basement connected with sewer. Eight rooms, seated for 400 pupils. Ventilation and heating good. Built for $16,500.
1895 - between Indiana Street and South Lane Avenue.
1895 Sanborn Fire Map:
1905 - Plumbing condemned
1907 Ogle Map: Ogle Walker
1912 - New plumbing has been installed (GR Herald, 20 Aug 1912, p. 3)
1913 Sanborn Fire map
18 Feb 1920
Thomas Hyland single of St. Louis, MO
to
Bd of Ed
Consideration $2200
Description
part of the NE 1/4 NE 1/4 (from Lane Ave to the School Lot)BE
18 Feb 1920
Mary A Coulter of Oroville, CA
Consideration $3200
Descripion
part of (farther north than Hyland's)BE
19 Dec 1921
Alexander and Anna Varasilko, husband and wife,
to
the Bd of Ed
Consideration, $2200,
Description
E1/2 of lot 14 of Holcomb and Butler's SubBE
1921 Annual Report - Old 8th Ward - part of section 26, T7N, R12W
1921 - Plans and specifications are in preparation for a new Sibley school building for 1922.
1922 - contract let for new school. The work was commenced in the early spring and the construction has gone along so that they will be ready for use in September, 1923
1926 - address is 935 Sibley St. The other addresses for this block for this year include 839 for Gold Star Bakery and seven residences between the bakery and school.
1952 - purchased houses at 929 and 931 Sibley for playground expansion, possibly more.
1953 - Sanborn Fire Map Page 515
1973 - GRP 4 Dec 1973, plans for a new upper elementary only school.
1980 - address is 947 Sibley St. I remember visiting Barb Gozdzik, a water department employee, who lived across the street from this school at 922 Sibley. . I remember a long brick building running back from Sibley Street along side the edge of the playground. It was the Bierling Bakery at 839 Sibley. I think this might have been torn down and the site used for Straight School. (None of the assessor cards exist for these addresses). There are no houses listed in the 1980 City Directory between the school and the bakery.
Grand Rapids Press 26 Mar 1998 - bond issue proposal
Sibley Elementary
947 Sibley St NW
425 students, 20 teachers
Built: 1923
Existing square feet: 42,900
Proposed new square feet: 14,350
Cost: $6.5 million
Highlights: a $1.7 million addition of four classrooms, a library, computer lab,
and multi-purpose room;
$2.7 to remodel classrooms, gym and windows and replace electric and heating
systems, and $31,500 for computer and video equipment.
2006 - new building
2005 943 Sibley ppn=41-13-26-232-032 Starting to the NW is S Holcomb and J Butler's add, then easterly is F W Tusch's subdivision, then south is Panfil's 35 Panfil. Then expanded into Robert's Addition Robert's to Indiana Ave for Straight School. The present school building is slated for demolition this summer.
From article School History
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info