Fife Lake–Union District No. 1 Schoolhouse

The Fife Lake–Union District No. 1 Schoolhouse, also known as the Cedar Creek School of the Union Township Hall, is a school building located at 5020 Fife Lake Road near Fife Lake, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1983[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.[1] It is unique because of the distinctive design of its Late Victorian porch and belfry.

Fife Lake–Union District No. 1 Schoolhouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Michigan State Historic Site
Location	5020 Fife Lake Rd, Fife Lake, Michigan
Coordinates	44°36′45″N 85°21′14″W
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1882
Built by	John Dewey
Architectural style	Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.	87001433[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	August 27, 1987
Designated MSHS	October 27, 1983[2]

History

The Fife Lake Schoolhouse was built in 1882 by local carpenter John Dewey.[2] It was used as a school until the early 1950s. In 1955, Union Township purchased the schoolhouse and converted it into a township hall.

Description

The Fife Lake Schoolhouse is a one-story Late Victorian balloon-frame rectangular structure with a gable roof and clapboard siding.[2] The exterior is generally plain, but the appearance is enhanced by a distinctive triple-bay entry porch with a barrel-vault-top center, and by an open well-house-like belfry. Both the porch and the belfry have stickwork brackets, and the belfry has a gable roof and a central finial. Two entrances lead from the porch into coat rooms, which open onto the main schoolroom. The schoolroom has vertical-board interior paneling and a pressed metal ceiling. A clapboard woodshed with a gable roof is located behind the schoolhouse.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "Fife Lake - Union District No. 1 Schoolhouse". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved February 2014. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)