Turner Street School 1851-1871
NW 1/4 of Sec 24 Walker Twp
Alternative Names: Primary School #6, Turner Avenue
the first site: about one-third of the way north of Eleventh and two-thirds south of Leonard on the East side of Turner Now US 131.. .
Isaac Edison
To
Union School Dist. No. 2
20 October 1866
Liber 41 Page 639
Consideration $600
Description
commencing at the SW corner of Lot number 6 of Tryon's Addition
thence North on Turner Street 155 feet
thence East parallel to the South line of said Lot Six, 125 feet
thence South parallel to Turner street to the south line of said Lot
thence West to the place of beginning
Tryon's Addition 1854 for John Tryon
1866 -- Lot purchased on 5 Oct 1866 from Isaac Edison for $600 by District #2.. 116 feet along Turner (East side of Turner in the middle of the block between Leonard and 11th) by 141 feet deep. A two-story wooden building with three rooms for 128 pupils, valued at $2,000. (The East side is now US 31 freeway) This site is marked as "O T" on the 1907 Ogle map, section 24 Ogle Walker
1872 - two-story wooden building, three rooms for 128 pupils. Value $2,000.
1874 - warmed with stoves
1880 - faces Turner (on the East) between 11th on the South and Leonard on the North in the 6th ward and was heated by stoves with six rooms with suitable halls and closets and sittings for 260 pupils.
1881 - Two buildings, one erected recently in good repair but older one dilapidated. Recommend replacing school with a new brick one on the five acre lot on Leonard.
1882 - School has been replaced with a new building on the five acre lot. (Called Primary School #6 for one year but renamed West Leonard)
1882 - Turner Street School Property (The Old No. 6) There are two building on the lot, or rather two additions, the one erected recently is in fair repair, the old one is so dilapidated that it is not suitable for school purposes.
1883 - Turner Street School on Eleventh and Leonard Streets, 116 feet frontage on Turner by 141 feet deep. The building is of wood, two stories, and is warmed by stoves. It has six schoolrooms but two are occupied. There should be a new four room brick building built on this lot, to take the place of the old frame building, as it will be needed within two years.
1884 - missing page
Second site, south of Eleventh
September 3, 1885
Luman Jenison and Lucius Jenison
To
The Board of Education
Liber 168 page 373
Consideration, $4000
Description
Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, Block 4 (9) of Jenison's Subdiv of Gore Lot, on
Block 1
and Blocks 8, 9 and 16 of Smith and Van Allen's AdditionCE
Jenison's Subdivision of Smith & Van Allen's Addition 1882 by Skeels for Luman and Lucius Jenison.L On this plat Jonathon/Davis was renamed Eleventh.961 Turner Ave NW
1885 - Six rooms, all occupied. In place of this building a new one should be erected on the new site on Eleventh street. The old building has been repaired and the plastering calcimined.
The 1885 Collar and Greiner does not show a school on this new site. .
1886 - These lots have been purchased recently at a coat of $4,000. They are located on Eleventh Street between Turner and Broadway. They are about 150 feet north and south by 250 feet east and west. There has been erected during the year a twelve-room brick building with a setting capacity o 600, heated and ventilated by steam, connected with city water and sewer. There will be three rooms ready for commencement of school, the others about the 1st of October. Mr. Gillis shows this school located at the SW corner These measurements match the grouping of lots 1,2,3,4,5,6. of Block 4 of Jenison (Block 16 of S&V). Jenison - Image Smith and VanAllen's - Image
1887 - Building one of the best in the city, white brick, two-stories, 12 rooms for 600 pupils, heated and ventilated by steam, connected to city sewer and water. Halls are broad. In October eight were occupied. (Gillis shows this as the "old Turner school" on the southwest corner, now a parking lot, and that it was used for showing free movies during the depression. Edward Gillis' book Growing Up in Old Lithuanian Town 977.456 G416g)
New building:
From GRPL 91-1-5, GR Illustrated 1888
1888 - old school building sold to the Nederlandsch or Netherlands Reformed Church of Grand Rapids which built a new church in 1908 at 1044 Turner Ave NW. It was abandoned in 1960 when the freeway went through and a new church was built on Covell Avenue in 1963.
This 1953 Sanborn Fire map shows the new church
in place of the original school.
1891 - Madison school building compared to Turner.
1892 - Sixth Ward.
1895 Sanborn Fire Map:
1905 - Plumbing condemned
1907 Section 24 Ogle Walker
1907 - A brick chimney was built here similar to that at Madison avenue school. the two buildings are practically duplicates.
1908 - On June 8 the Turner street school building was nearly destroyed by fire and a special meeting of the board was called for the following day to plan the reconstruction of the school building. A report was received form the business committee recommending that the school be rebuilt under certain plans and the contract be let to some contractor on a percentage basis. This has been done. the plans contemplate making the building modern in all its appointments and it will be competed a near as possible to the time of the opening of schools in the fall.
From GRPL
1913 Sanborn Fire Map
I tried, unsuccessfully, so an additional shot shows the 1913 playground where the Assessor drew in a dark red (brick) addition.
1921 Annual Report - old 6th Ward, lots 1-9 Block 4 of Jenison's Subdivision of Smith & Van Allen's Addition.
1921 - Addition put on
1922 - Addition completed
1953 Sanborn Fire Map
Bd of Ed Map
2005: First site is US 131
2005: Second site is now a parking lot for American Seating, 940 Broadway ppn=41-13-24-177-003
From article School History
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info