VandenBerg School
NW 1/4 of Section 31 Grand Rapids Township
Alternate Names: Primary #4, Wealthy Street Primary, Lafayette Avenue
1860 - mentioned as Primary #4 in the Annual Catalogue of the officers, instructors and students of Grand Rapids Public Schools (East Side) for the academic year 1860 ---- obviously in a rented building.
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September 18, 1867
Joseph Penney
To
Frac'l Union School Dist. No. 1, of Grand Rapids
Liber 55 pages 483-4
Consideraton, $1750
Description
All that certain piece or parcel of land described as follows:
Beginning at a point on the E ½ of the NW ¼ of Sec 31, 7-11
where the West line of Caroline Street (Lafayette)
produced or continued S'ward parallel with the East line of Jefferson Street
intersects the South line of Wealthy Avenue, measure Southward along the said
West line of Caroline Street so produced or continued 250 feet,
thence Westward parallel with the S. line of Wealthy Avenue, 250 feet, more or
less, to intersection with the E. line of Cass Street produced or continued
S'ward parallel with the E. line of Jefferson Street,
thence N'ward along said E. line of Cass Street so produced or continued Sward
to the intersection with the South line of Wealthy Avenue,
thence Eastward along said S. line of Wealthy Avenue 250 feet, more or less, to
the place of beginning.
(Being in all as described 10 Lots of 50 feet by 125 feet, more or less).CE
1867 - Primary #4, The lot was purchased on Sept 18, 1867 for $1750 from Joseph Penney. It ran 250' along Wealthy Street to the North by 250 feet on Lafayette Avenue to the East. (Cass Avenue was to the West) Joseph Penny owned and platted the land East of Lafayette. (So assume Penny later sold land to Porter who platted it). The lot remained this size until 1921. (double check this date 1862 typo?)
1869 - built
1872 - Substantial two-story brick building, two rooms furnished for 108 pupils. Built 1869, Value $8,000).
1873 - lot needs fencing and grading, has basement and inside blinds, has six rooms.
1874 - warmed with stoves, 56 glass lights malicious broken, needs fence. The increase of population in this district or territory sill soon demand more school room either by another story to the present edifice or the purchasing a lot farther out and erecting another house or perhaps both.
1876 - built fence, laid sidewalk, repaired wood house.
1878 - needs grading
1879 - flues and coal gates installed, lumber for sidewalk. The ventilation has been much improved by inserting coal grates into the foul air flues.
1880 - 3rd ward, basement, six class room with suitable halls, stairways and closets, 150 pupils, warmed by stoves, now has city water.
1883 - renamed Wealthy Avenue School, vaults installed in basement and connected to city water and sewer.
The 1885 Collar and Greiner shows this school on a large lot north of a block in Porter's plat.:
1887 - In the spring term, the wood house was fitted up and 40 pupils found accommodations there. wood shed has been fitted up as a small classroom for the youngest pupils. Value $29,000.
1891 - Tenth Ward
1892 - 4-room addition to the north and remodeling of the old part for $13,000.
1893 - Wealthy Avenue School brick, two stories, slate roof, heated by steam and warm air tubular boiler. Four sets water closets (toilets) with separate ventilation stacks for rooms and closets. Ten school rooms, seated for 500 pupils.
This photo is from the 1895 Annual Report
1895 Sanborn Fire Map:
1907 Section 31
Ogle GRT1912 - New plumbing installed.
1913 Sanborn map has been altered by the City Assessor who erased the then existing school and drew in the new school to the right or east of the old school
l.
1919 - Grand Rapids Press 20 Jan 1919 p. 3 Residents of the Lafayette school district have appointed a committee --- that alleges that the Lafayette school is the oldest in the city, is unsanitary, poorly ventilated, overcrowded, is an eminent fire hazard and has many other disadvantages due to its antiquity. An effort will be made to have a new Lafayette school included in the 199 building program.
1921 - Nov 15, 1921 purchased Lot 10 for $9500. Plans for new building. Contracts were let in May. .
1921 Annual Report - Old 10th Ward, The North 250 feet of Block 2 of L. Porter's Addition.
1922 - The new Lafayette school will be completed and ready for use in September, 1922. (Duplicate of Henry) double check
1953 Sanborn Fire Map page 320 shows a new school built in 1921. Lot
addresses are show as 401 Lafayette Ave SE, 240 Wealthy ST SE and 400 Cass Ave
SE.
1961 - purchased Lot 1
1962 - purchased Lot 2
1968-1970 purchased the balance of lots to Logan Street.
Bd of Ed map
Grand Rapids Press 26 Mar 1998 - bond issue proposal
Vandenberg Creative Arts Academy
409 Lafayette Ave SE
207 students, 11.5 teachers
Built: 1922
Existing square feet: 32,850
Proposed new square feet: 12,212
Cost: $4.7 million
Highlights: a $1.4 million addition of a multi-purpose room, kitchen, drama room
and entrance; $1.8 million for major renovation of classrooms and restrooms and
new heating and electric systems, and $175,000 for computers and video
equipment.
2005: 415 Lafayette 41-14-31-127-017 Part of Block 2 of L Porter. It is necessary to push the blank page icon on the toolbar to get to the right portion of the Porter 1868 plat. Wenham renamed Logan, Blakely renamed Buckley, Withey renamed Franklin, Could East have been renamed Sycamore?.
2006 Adult Education
This is now for sale and will probably soon become a parking lot for St. Mary's Hospital.
From article School History
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info