Geer School

Geer School. . The red brick building is the third structure to house Geer School. .The first was a log building constructed in 1829, the second a frame structure nearby. The elected school director, William Geer, donated the land in 1880 and contracted with Joseph Warner of Ypsilanti to construct this building. The school had to meet standard requirements: at least a once-acre yard, ample light, coatrooms, outdoor toilets, a washbasin, and a good water supply. It is interesting to note that the size of a schoolroom (28' x 19') was the area and distance that a woman's voice was expected to carry. The building is 28' x 40', lighted by tall round top windows. , Geer, a well-funded school, provided free textbooks, uncommon in the 19th century. From 1829 to 1869, each family paid a tax based on the number of days their children attended school. These "rate bills" were repealed by the state legislature in 1869 when free public education was mandated., A social center for the farming community, Geer School hosted annual Thanksgiving Day dinners, spring picnics and dances. Closed in 1982, Geer School was restored in the late 1980's through a community effort. Geer School now provides a one-room school experience for fourth-graders in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools.