Greenfield Union School

National Register

National Register of Historic Places Filing

Local SignificanceArchitectureCommunity Planning & Development1914-1931

Greenfield Union School was built for Greenfield Township before it was annexed to the City of Detroit in 1916. It is indicative of the continued expansion of Detroit's city limits during the first three decades of the twentieth century and is, thus, locally significant under National Register Criterion A. It also meets Criterion C for its architecture. Designed by architects Van Leyen, Schilling & Keough, it is a fine example of Georgian Revival design.

Physical Description

Greenfield Union School faces south onto Seven Mile Road, a commercial thoroughfare, several blocks east of Woodward Avenue, approximately eight miles north-northwest of downtown Detroit. It occupies the southern half of a city block; the houses that originally occupied the northern half of the block have since been razed. In style, Greenfield Union School is Georgian Revival, featuring a monumental portico and cupola. The rectangular core block, constructed between 1914 and 1916, is a tall, side-gabled, red brick structure on a high basement. This structure was flanked in 1931 by the addition of identical, brick, flat-roofed east and west wings, giving the structure an H-plan. The building was further expanded in 1971 with a single-story addition to the rear. Also on the site is a freestanding boiler building (contributing).

Architect/Builder

Van Leyen, Schilling & Keough

NRHP Ref# 10000662 • Data from National Park Service • Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0

Historic Photos

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Sourced from the National Register of Historic Places filing

Greenfield Union School — GREENFIELD UNION SCH DETROIT WAYNE MI

Public Domain (Michigan Filing)

From Wikipedia

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The Greenfield Union School is a school located at 420 West 7 Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan. A part of Detroit Public Schools (DPS), the school building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

History Greenfield Union School was built by Greenfield Township for its District #1. The school was designed by Van Leyen & Schilling, and construction began in 1914. The school was completed in 1916 at a cost of $40,000, and the school opened its doors to elementary through high school students. That same year, Greenfield Township was annexed by the city of Detroit. As more residents moved to the area, the school became too crowded. High school students were transferred to other buildings, and in 1931, an addition containing several classrooms, an auditorium, and a gymnasium was constructed. This addition was also designed by Van Leyen & Schilling. In 1944, middle school students were also transferred. In 1971, another addition was constructed. An addition for early childhood learning was built in 2002. As of 2011, the school is used by the Detroit Public Schools for elementary and middle school students. The school serves Chaldean Town.

Architecture The core block of the Greenfield Union School, constructed in 1914-1916, is a tall, rectangular, side-gabled, Georgian Revival red brick structure on a high basement. The front of the building has a full-height tetrastyle entry portico, styled in the Corinthian order and topped with a triangular pediment. A denticulated cornice wraps around the entire building. The entry doors beneath the portico are reached by a flight of several steps. The windows in this building consist of three large, separate openings on each floor in the center bay, and a grouping of four multi-light windows on each floor on the flanking bays. Two Georgian Revival wings, built in 1931, flank the main block of the school, giving it an overall H-shaped plan. These wings are identical, brick, flat-roofed structures. The side elevations of each wing features two-story, round-arched windows. A single-story 1971 addition is connected to the rear of the building. The interior of the school features an entry vestibule beyond the main doors, leading to a corridor housing administrative offices. Stairs on either side of the corridor lead upwards to classrooms, and to the two-story gymnasium wing (to the west) and the two-story auditorium (to the east). The gymnasium has tall Palladian windows with wood trim and exposed masonry walls. The auditorium contains a stage with decorative plaster trim, with a relief framing the windows wrapping to the rear of the auditorium. The original kindergarten room is now the library, and contains a protruding bay window with wood seats below, as well as a fireplace with a decorative Pewabic tile surround and a drinking fountain niche with Pewabic tile on all three sides.

Demographics In 1994 about 65% of the students were of Arab origin, 30% were black, and 5% were non-Arab white. The school initiated a 20-day long summer program to improve Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test scores and English ability, catering to Middle Eastern communities.