Ferndale Central School

Ferndale Central School. 130 E. Nine Mile. , Around 1872-73, Andrew C. Porter donated land at the southeast corner of Woodward and Nine Mile Road for the construction of Porter School after the original schoolhouse for Ferndale located near Allen and West Nine Mile Roads was destroyed by fire. Porter School was a typical 1870s schoolhouse with separate entrances for boys and girls, an outdoor drinking water well and pump, and an outhouse. , , In the early 1900s a larger school building was needed as more families moved to the area, especially because of the auto employment in nearby Highland Park. In 1914, the district built two identical schools, one on the site of the Porter School, and another school near Ridge Road. The old 1870s Porter School building was moved to the future site of Lincoln High School on West Nine Mile Road where it was re-used for classes, and after 1918 as the village hall. , , On December 28, 1914, the new school at Nine Mile and Woodward burned to the ground, and the district quickly built the present brick building. Overland Construction Company built the structure and the first classes were held there in the fall of 1915. The school was originally named Ferndale School, and was later called Central School. It faced Woodward Avenue and there was a park with trees between the building and the street. , , The school served as a community meeting space, including gatherings that resulted in Ferndale becoming a village in 1918. In the late 1920s the district moved its administrative offices into the building. The building was remodeled to move the entrance to East Nine Mile Road. It no longer fronted Woodward Avenue after the widening in 1923 and the construction of the C.H. Harrison Building in 1929, now known as the Ferndale Center Building. In 1930, the first library located to this building with 2,000 volumes, remodeling again in 1940 and by 1943 the library contained over 15,000 books. The library moved to a new building just to the east in 1954 and the school building was later converted to offices. In 2008, the law firm Foley and Mansfield renovated the historical building, restoring much of its original grace and adding an additional 7,000 square feet to the east side of the building consistent with State Historic Preservation building practices. This renovation and the construction of the first loft-style mixed-use living and commercial space on the property nearby, 211 East Nine Mile, in the same year contributed to the revitalization of East Nine Mile. , , Ferndale wayfinding signage is being supported by a Preserve America grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior