East Leonard Street School
NW ¼ of Section 19 Grand Rapids Township
Alternate names: Coldbrook Grammar
Alternate Locations: 1. South of Leonard west of North, 2. East of North
March 1, 1859
Charles W. Taylor and wife,
To
School dist. No. 6
Liber 18 page 305
Consideration, $300
Description
Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 27, 28, 29 and 30
block 17 of Tanner Taylor's AdditionCE
1850 - the City annexed Coldbrook School then located near Leonard and Taylor from Grand Rapids Township School District #6. . The City purchased this new lot in 1859 apparently for a new school. The original records for City School District #6 don't seem to exist anymore so the first known information dates from 1872 when the Board of Education came into existence and only identifies Coldbrook Grammar School and North Ionia Primary on Taylor about two blocks farther south than the township Coldbrook school. . An active railroad track and train station lay between these two schools.
1860 - lot purchased, of C W Taylor March 1, 1860 for $300. 8/11/1860 Block 16 lots 1,2,3,4
1861 - brick school built, has two rooms with sittings for 128 pupils.
1872 - 5th Ward, lot fronts 200 feet on Leonard street x 220 feet deep. The grounds have not been graded. 2-story brick building.
1873 - warmed by stoves.
1882 - building is old and in rather bad condition. Your committee recommend the purchasing of school house site father to north in this ward and building thereon this next year, as both of the schools in this part of the city need relief. (Plainfield ?)
1883 - the district boundaries are the same as for North Ionia which indicates that Coldbrook was also a grammar school.
1884 - assume new building was constructed or added onto or re-configured. Only mention in Annual Report was under special repair section which stated cost of repairing woodshed and outhouses $8.50. More research needed.
1885 Collar and Greiner map. The size matches lots 1,2,3,4,27,28,29,30 of Block 16 allowing for the alley and North street r.o.w. Have to check.
1886 - renamed East Leonard street school. There are three rooms.
1888 - This building is entirely too small to accommodate the pupils in the district and it is expected in the near future, that it will be replaced by one that will be a credit to its surroundings.
1891 - Fifth Ward.
1894 - Brick, two stories, three rooms warmed by stoves with sittings for 140 pupils.
1895 - Sanborn Fire Map:
1897 - A two-story and basement brick building with slate roof, containing eight rooms with sittings for 400 pupils. It is heated by steam, well ventilated and has closets in the basement connected with city water and sewer.
1905 - Plumbing condemned
1907 Section 19 Ogle GRT
1912 - Addition
1913 Sanborn Fire Map
350 Leonard St NE
1914 - new addition - 2 fire escapes to be installed.
I am assuming the same addition was put on East Leonard and Alexander.
1921 - Old 5th Ward Lots 1-4 and 27-30 block 17 of Tanner Taylor's Addition.
1953 Sanborn Fire Map shows the older portion was built in 1897 with a rear addition in 1913. The lot addresses are 350 and 358 Leonard St NE, 1137 North Ave NE.
1955/6 - final approval of new site for a new building to be ready for occupancy in the fall of 1957. -- placed on property adjacent to the present site, to the east and south. when the new building is completed the old school will be razed and the land used for playground space. to acquire the new site will require purchase of 18 pieces of property on Leonard St, Barnett St. and Hubert St. From the Hall School Scrapbook.
6. 1950's lots east of North purchased on Drew and Brown Addition for new school. NE 1/4 Sec 19
1961 -
First purchased Site Enlarged southerly Site Enlarged easterly site
City Engineers shows all four lots were purchased in 1859. Bd of Ed records show a separate purchase in 1884.
Grand Rapids Press 26 Mar 1998 - bond issue proposal
East Leonard Elementary
410 Barnett St NE
Built: 1957
300 students, 14 teachers
Existing square feet: 32,500
Proposed new square feet: 1,441
cost: $5.2 million
Highlights: a $1.5 addition of a gymnasium, kitchen and six classrooms; $2
million to remodel classrooms and library and install new electric and heating
systems, and $221,000 for computers and video equipment.
2005 - 410 Leonard St NE PP# 41-14-19-201-048 Tanner Taylor's Drew and Brown
2006 K-5
From article School History
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info