Name/Title
Old School House ProjectEntry/Object ID
2023.06.11Scope and Content
Documents and items pertaining to the massive effort by members of the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society to purchase the 1866 Douglas Union School -- then called the Old School House -- and renovate the historic building into the headquarters of the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center.
1. Proposals for purchasing the "Old School House" [OSH] apartment building in 2005, PR committee-binder
2. Gifts, donations to OSH, cancelled checks – papers in clear plastic bag
3. Pledges – papers in two clear plastic bags
4. Campaign plans-fundraising.
5. Community uses, list of contributors- white binder
6. File “a” restoration, bids, bills, architects – paper in clear plastic bags
7. Restoration, design committee, function decisions, task force, list of workers, proposals to buy OSH from Nancy Budd, correspondence with Nancy, attorney, appraisal, title -blue folder
8. Preserve America grant, some campaign, task force - green folder
9. Newspaper clippings-manila file folder
10. Appraisals, title, Nancy Budd, seller-folder
11. Designs and plans-folder
12. Schoolhouse history-folder
13. Donor wall and Haworth-folder
14. CDs/ small brochures in a clear plastic bag
15. Copies of the old school house booklet/book/full color - loose
Judy Anthrop sorted these documents, March 27, 2023Context
Built at the end of the American Civil War, the Douglas Union School opened in 1866 with 229 students in four classrooms, grades 1-12, and replaced all the local one-room school houses. In 1957 the Union School was replaced by the current Douglas Elementary and Saugatuck Middle/High School.
From 1963 until 2005, the old building found new life as the Old School House apartments. As the City of Douglas became an increasingly popular residential community in the 2000s, the value of the land exceeded the value of the building. Property-owner Nancy Johnson Budd, a preservationist and member of the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society, was concerned about the building’s future.
Under threat of sale and demolition, the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society reached an agreement to purchase the building, restore it, and use it for the Society’s expanding community heritage programs and archives. The $1.4 million restoration project was completed in 2012 thanks to hundreds of donors and volunteers. Improvements to the gardens continue today.Collection
SDHS/SDHC generalCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2023.06Source or Donor
Found in the SDHS/SDHC collectionAcquisition Method
Donation, unconditionalLocation
Box
182 Old School House ProjectRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Lyon, Dottie ?-2019, Anthrop, Judy (Bowman), Schmiechen, James A., Carls, Ken, Thieda, Harold, Sanford, Peg 1944-, Wilcox, Jeff 1946-2024, Schmidt, Fred, Budd, Nancy J. 1922-2010, Peters, John, Gebben, Kristin, Douglas Union School 1866-Create Date
March 28, 2023Update Date
October 6, 2024
