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Spring Lake Township in Ottawa County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

DeWitt School

 
 
DeWitt School Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 12, 2015
1. DeWitt School Marker
Inscription.
Built in 1891, DeWitt School typifies the one-room schools of the turn of the century. It stands on an acre of land that was donated by the DeWitt and Bosch families. Classes for grades one through eight were held in it until 1957. At one time, a single teacher taught from twenty-five to forty students by holding one ten-minute session per subject for each of the eight grades. The original school district covered approximately four square miles, and many children walked more than two miles to and from school daily. Nearly two decades after the school closed, planning began for restoring it as a living museum for area school children. By 1979 the classroom resembled its 1891 appearance, featuring gas lights, a wood stove, an octagonal clock, a hanging globe, lunch pails and desk.
 
Erected 1982 by Michigan History Division, Department of State. (Marker Number L0640.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.
 
Location. 43° 6.159′ N, 86° 13.833′ W. Marker is in Spring Lake, Michigan, in Ottawa County. It is in Spring Lake Township. Marker is on West Taft Street, half a mile west
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of 174th Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17710 West Taft Street, Spring Lake MI 49456, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Smith Bayou / Hezekiah Smith (approx. 1.7 miles away); Grand Haven (approx. 2.2 miles away); Aloys Bilz House (approx. 2.4 miles away); Model 5 Autoflag "Wig-Wag" Crossing Signal (approx. 2.4 miles away); Pere Marquette Auto Box Car No 72222 (approx. 2.4 miles away); Pere Marquette Steam Locomotive (approx. 2.4 miles away); Pere Marquette Caboose No. A-986 (approx. 2.4 miles away); Grand Trunk Western, Wood Caboose No. 77915 (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spring Lake.
 
Also see . . .  North Bank Helps Protect History. Grand Haven Area Community Foundation website entry:
Preserving the DeWitt School (Submitted on February 16, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 
 
DeWitt School Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 12, 2015
2. DeWitt School Marker
Repainting the DeWitt School image. Click for full size.
via Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, October 2020
3. Repainting the DeWitt School
Grand Haven Area Community Foundation in action
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2015, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 377 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on September 28, 2015, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin.   3. submitted on February 16, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 19, 2024