Milford Rural Agricultural School
Historic Photo, sourced from the National Register of Historic Places filing
Milford Rural Agricultural School — Milford Rural Agricultural School, 1926 Judson N. Churchill, National Register of Historic Places filing, 630 Hickory St., Milford, Detroit
National Register of Historic Places Filing
Located in the center of the Village of Milford, the Milford Rural Agricultural School, completed in the summer of 1926, was in the heart of the community it would serve. It was built in fulfillment of the Rural Agricultural School Act of 1917, and the layout was planned specifically to accommodate rural agricultural education. Plans for the school gave special attention to a good heating, lighting and ventilating system, as well as proper and up-to-date sanitary facilities. This school was an important part of the movement in Michigan for consolidation of schools to provide better education for the young people in rural areas and the 'standard school' reforms aimed at providing proper surroundings in which children could be educated. The Art Deco style of the exterior of the school made it a product of its time, and the fine workmanship and attention to detail throughout guaranteed its survival.
Physical Description
Situated in the center of the Village of Milford, the Milford Rural Agricultural School is a two-story, L-shaped, brick building trimmed in limestone. The building exterior remains virtually unchanged from the time it was built in 1926. It is Arts-and-Crafts in inspiration, featuring an arched entrance which is topped by a gabled parapet. The brick exterior is accented by polychromatic brick work, and punctuated by square limestone medallions. The construction of this building made use of the finest available materials and workmanship, and used the most modern advances in construction. The school faces west on Hickory Street and sits rather high above the street with one set of steps from the street to the sidewalk, and another from the sidewalk to the building. The building itself is only a few steps above ground, as there is no basement under the school proper. This building occupies approximately 1.4 acres in the middle of the block between Summit Street on the north, and Detroit Street on the south and extending from Hickory Street to East Street. The ground on the east side is level from the building to East Street, and is covered with the remains of asphalt paving formerly used for playground and parking.
Architect/Builder
Judson N. Churchill, architect
NRHP Ref# 91001995 • Data from National Park Service • Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0
Historic Photos
(7)Sourced from the National Register of Historic Places filing
Milford Rural Agricultural School — Milford Rural Agricultural School — Milford Rural Agricultural School, 1926 Judson N. Churchill, National Register of Historic Places filing, 630 Hickory St., Milford, Detroit
Public Domain (Michigan Filing)
From Wikipedia
The Milford Rural Agricultural School was a school located at 630 Hickory Street in Milford, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, and demolished in 1995.
History Milford was settled in 1831, and the first school was constructed in 1833. By 1840, the area had 12 school districts. In the 1850s, the two-story Milford Union School was built at this site. The school served the village as an elementary and high school until 1883, when it burned. The building was replaced the next year with a new school of approximately the same appearance. At the turn of the century, improving roads and the rise of the automobile spurred consolidation of formerly sparse rural school districts. In Milford, the consolidation movement got off to a slow start, but in 1921 local citizens voted overwhelmingly in favor of district consolidation. It wasn't until 1925, however, that a consolidation plan was proposed, which would use the existing Milford Union School for the consolidated lower grades, and construct a new building nearby to house high school students. The school board hired Lansing architect Judson Churchill to design a new school building. Construction began in August 1925, and was completed by September 1926, in time for the beginning of the school year. The Milford Rural Agricultural School served as a high school for area students until 1957, when a new high school was constructed three miles north after the Milford schools became part of the Huron Valley School District. The old high school was then used as a Junior High until 1970, when a new Junior High, the present Muir Middle School, was built, after which the old Union School was torn down and the Rural Agricultural School building was converted to a distribution center for the school district. In 1984 this use was also discontinued, and the building became vacant. In 1995, the Milford Rural Agricultural School was demolished. The plaque formerly above the entrance was moved to the Milford Historical Museum.
Description The Milford Rural Agricultural School was a two-story, L-shaped, brick Arts and Crafts building trimmed with limestone. The arched entryway was topped with a parapet, and the exterior brickwork was accented with polychromatic brick work and square limestone medallions. The windows were multi-paned, double-hung units placed in banks of two, three or four, and separated by polychromatic brick work. On the interior, there was a large multi-story Community room in one wing, used as an auditorium and gymnasium. The first floor also featured a Chemistry Room and Physics Room with a shared Lecture Room, a Domestic Science Room, a Manual Arts Room, and a Finishing Room. On the second floor was an Agriculture Room, two Recitation Rooms, a Domestic Arts Room, a large Assembly Room, and an office.
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Oakland County, Michigan
References
Content available under CC BY-SA 4.0
Building Details
- Architect
- Judson N. Churchill
- Year Built
- 1926
- National Register
- Listed
- Ref# 91001995