Lexington Avenue School
NW 1/4 Section 25 Walker Twp
Alternate Names: Primary #8, Jefferson Street School
October 7, 1867
John Butler and Phiura Butler, his wife
To
Union School Dist. No. 2 of Grand Rapids, M'ch
Liber 55 page 249
Consideration, $2000
Description
All of those Lots or parcels of land decsribed as
Lots 13 and 15 on Gold Street
and 14 and 16 on Jefferson Street,
according to the plat of Scribner's Addition
to the City of Grand Rapids. CE
Scribner's Addition platted by Pettibone in 1854 for James Scribner. Street name changes: Bowery to Douglas in 1920, Washington to Sibley 1873, New York to Shawmut in 1873, Shawmut to Lake Michigan Drive in 1928, Oak-Oil to Fulton, West Broadway to National in 1912, Jefferson to Lexington, West Division to Seward in 1912,
1867 - The lot was purchased on 9 October 1867 from John Butler. The lot ran 264 feet alongside California Street on the North and 132 feet on Jefferson (renamed Lexington) to the East. Lots 13, 14, 15, 16. (Gold Avenue was to the West)
1870 - Primary School #8 built
1872 - a three-story brick building designed to accept an addition. It has five rooms, three furnished for 128 pupils. The grounds need grading and fencing. Built in 1870 and valued at $15,000.
1873 - lot recently graded, contract let for fencing.
1879 - permanent partition across large third floor room.
1880 - 8th Ward with a basement designed for an addition on the South side (towards Veto Street). It has a furnace and six rooms for 300 pupils. A new sidewalk was laid on the East (Lexington) side.
1881 - Contract let with Mr. Shriver for a five-room addition, enlarged halls, and some repairs to old building, $8,175. contract let with Sproul * McGurrin for ventilating and heat with steam for the entire building.
1882 - one of the five new rooms occupies 1/2 of the third floor. Now are 11 classrooms, also a tower, halls, closets and wardrobes re-arranged, high well-lighted basement. Connected to city water and sewer. Heated by steam.
1883 - renamed Jefferson Street School. New sidewalks have been laid.
The 1885 Collar and Greiner map shows this school on lots 13 and 14 of Scribner's Addition between Gold and Jefferson, California and Veto. .
1885 - Several rooms were rented to relieve the overcrowding; one room was rented and fixed up for school purposes on the corner of Gold and Jackson streets at a monthly rent of $20. and it will be necessary to retain this room for a short time during the coming tern until Straight street building is completed. the other room is at the corner of Jefferson street and West Fulton, at the same monthly rent,. It will not be necessary to retain this room.
1887 - Value $32,000
1891 - Ninth Ward
1893 - called Training school
1894 - Jefferson Street School
1895 Sanborn Fire Map:
Here is a photo of this building taken as it was being torn down.
GR Herald 17 June 1923
1905 - Plumbing condemned
1907 Section 25
Ogle Walker1907 - The natural lighting of all rooms in this building was very poor, a photometer test having shown a as j=low as one-half foot candle of light. N fact, some rooms had only about 10 per cent window glass area as compared with floor area. After studying the problem, it seemed possible to place more windows on one side of each school room, i.e. that side which would give more light over the left shoulders of the pupils. While this left rather in artistic and inconsistent exterior, it permitted the introduction of nearly 50 per cent more light, and considerably strengthened the walls of the old building. This work was completed during the month of August, at a cost of $2,079.44. the result in the better natural lighting of the school rooms has more than justified the expenses incurred.
1907 -
This is a photo of the old school being demolished
From GR Herald Jun 17, 1923
1913 Sanborn Fire map - the Assessor has erased the school as drawn on this map and drawn in a new school to the West without indicating a date. The 1913 address is 53 Lexington Ave NE.
1914 - Lots 9, 10, 11, 12 were purchased extending the school grounds south to Veto Street for a new building. Recommend that the old building be razed - proceeds - from sale of old material - if any - be applied - for a playground.
Now I wonder who this gentleman is? Mr. Turner?
Mr. Turner was the school architect. Here are two census entires:
1910
164 Paris with Adaline Volland of Wisconsin
Henry Turner boarder 29 married 2 yrs NY NY NY architect
Josephine 1 0 OH OH Ger
1920
608 Union
Henry H Turner head rents 38 NY NY NY Maine architect
Josephine wife 32 OH OH Ger
Henry Jr. son 9 MI
These plans were on fragile folded paper.
Ground floor
First floor
second floor
1915 - opens
1921 Annual Report - Old 9th Ward - Lots 9, 11, 13, 15 of Scribner's Gold Street Addition. Lots 10, 12, 14, 16 of Scribner's Jefferson Street Addition.
Bd of Ed map
Grand Rapids Press 26 Mar 1998 - bond issue proposal
Academia de Expanol
45 Lexington Ave NW
211 students,7 teachers
Built: 1915, renovated in 1997
Existing square feet: 29,970
Proposed new square feet: 16,170
Cost: $5.4 million
Highlights: $1.8 million addition of six classrooms, a gym and locker rooms;
$1.9 million to remodel classrooms and restrooms and replace windows and
electric and heating systems,
and 210,000 for computer and video equipment.
The school plans to add seventh and eighth grades.
2005: 51 Lexington Ave NW ppn=41-13-25-161-003 LOTS 9 11 13 & 15 * GOLD STREET SCRIBNERS ADDITION * ALSO LOTS 10 12 14 & 16 * JEFFERSON STREET SCRIBNERS ADDITION
2006 Bimaadiziwin 9-12 Native American
From article School History
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info