Straight Street School
Original Site: SW 1/4 of Section 25 Walker Twp
August 6, 1883
John Green, Jr and Marie Green, his wife
To
The Board of Education
Consideration, $5000
Description
Lots 2, 3 and 6, block 13 of Converse and Tolford's Addition.
Also, the N. 16 fet of the N. side of Lot 7 block 13 of Converse and Tolford's
Addition.
First location in 2005: 752 Watson SW, PP# ppn=41-13-25-305-001 Lots 2,3,6,7,10,11 of Block 13 of Converse & Tolford's Addition. Converse & Tolford This plat has multiple pages. It is necessary to go to the bar at the top and just click on something, anything to activate it. The hand symbol will enable you to move around, the curving arrows will allow you to rotate the image and the white rectangle with a horizontal arrow will go to the next page.. Click it and wait and the next page showing the location of the school will eventually show up. Platted in 1873 by Coffinberry all of Government Lot 3, Fulton is the North line of Gov't lot 3, Straight is the West line, Govt lot 4 somewhere around Front. For J H Converse and William Tolford.
As Straight would have been Primary #13, its creation resulted in a change to naming the schools after the street they were on.
1883 - Ward 8, Lot 217' on Straight x 122' on Watson, alley at rear. Recently purchased at $5000. (8/6/1883 lots 2,3,6) Good frame dwelling on it which can be fitted up for school purposes not to exceed $200 for 200 pupils. Grounds are graded, have a fine sod and over fifty oak trees. Building ready to be occupied October 1st.
1884 - The building is a two-story frame dwelling on the corner of Straight and Watson streets converted into a two-room school house. This building has been removed to the south side of the lot and a new foundation placed under the same and properly fitted up for school purposes.
.
These
photos date from1935. The gingerbread is obscured in the first photo but
shows up better in the second.
The floor plan shows the rear room was much smaller than the
front room.
1884 - (continued) On the main part of this site a new white brick building has been erected with eight large rooms, with a seating capacity of 400. It is heated by steam and city water and sewer connections have been made, the entire building will be completed and ready for occupancy soon after the opening of the school year. the total cost is $18,000
1885 - new building completed.
From Then and Now by James Van Vulpen
The Collar and Greiner map of 1885 shows this school incorrectly as north of Watson.
1887 - The old building is a converted two-story frame dwelling converted into a two-room school and moved to the rear (south toward Park Street) of the lot. On the main part of the lot is a brick building with eight large rooms, heated by steam with city water and sewer connections. Value $24,000.
1889 - The main building has water closets which are in the basement.
1891 - Ninth Ward 2-room annex.
1892 - On the rear of the lot is a two-story wooden building containing two rooms, with sittings for 80 pupils. It is warmed by stoves.
1895 Sanborn Fire Map:
Notice the wood frame house (yellow) below the brick (pink) school
1896 - (the old house) is heated by furnace.
1902 addition
1903 - addition completed
1905 - Plumbing condemned
1907 map Section 25 Ogle Walker
1908 - Lot 7 on 4/8/1908 purchased for $1800
1909 - report of purchase made for the enlargement of the playground.
1910 - a class for Exceptional Children (mentally retarded) is started but class room conditions have been bad. A small wardrobe room is used for a recitation room. The cooking and bench work is taught in the regular manual training rooms. The physical training is given in the basement play room.
1913 Sanborn Fire Map - I was unable to get a clear picture but it showed that the original schoolhouse had been moved to 134 Indiana Ave SW. It was purchased by James DeLoof for his family. The assessor's record, a 1935 WPA project, for the original schoolhouse gives the estimated date of construction as 1880. It is described as a two-family, average wood-frame construction with lap siding and plain trim, pine floors and pine trim with plaster walls. There are five rooms (plus bath) on each floor. There are 1064 square feet per floor. There is a partial stone basement.
In the late 1990's I inspected this house when it was owned by Marv Cardinal. I don't remember exactly but I think the rear room was converted into a kitchen and bath while the front part held the living room and two bedrooms. There was a rear stairway leading upstairs along the inside of the back wall. The rear portion was either a big step higher or lower than the front part. He told me that when he had removed some paneling that he had discovered that there were blackboards embedded directly into the plaster walls. It had not been modernized very much or remudeled yet (remodeled poorly).
The 1913 Sanborn Fire Map shows a drawing of the moved school at its new location..
1915 - Grand Rapids News 3 August 1915 p. 3 Sprinkler systems to cost $5000 were ordered installed.
1919 - addition.
1920 - North part of Lot 10 on 7/27/1920 purchased for $2500.
1921 - Lot 11 and southern end of Lot 10 on 5/21/1921 purchased $5000.
1921 Annual Report - old 9th Ward - lots 2, 3, 6, 7, 11 and the north 30 1/2 feet and S 5 ft of lot 10
1922 - Balance of Lot 10 on 6/27/1922 purchased for $3500.
1973 - GRP 4 Dec 1873 A lower-elementary unit is scheduled for Straight on the Sibley School site.
The Bd of Ed map; 850 Chatham NW
Grand Rapids Press 26 Mar 1998 - bond issue proposal
Straight Elementary
850 Chatham St SW
244 students, 13 teachers
Built: 1975
Existing square feet: 25,430
Proposed new square feet: 6,500
Cost: $3.1 million
Highlights: a $710,000 addition of a multi-purpose room, library and computer
lab/
$1.3 million for classroom remodeling and new heating and electric systems and
$122,500 for computer and video equipment.
1975 - Original site is quit claimed on Oct 6, 1975 to the City. Now Straight Park.
2006 - a permit was issued to change (remudel?) the house at 134 Indiana SW.
From article School History
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info