Ontonagon School, Historic school building in Ontonagon, Michigan.
Ontonagon School is a school building comprising three connected structures built in 1912, 1938, and 1967 that reflect different architectural styles from their respective eras. The facility includes classrooms, administrative spaces, and kindergarten areas with decorative art elements from the mid-twentieth century.
The original 1912 building underwent reconstruction following a fire in 1929 and received a two-story addition in 1938 designed by architect A.B. Nelson. The facility then served as a school for several decades until school district consolidation led to its closure in 2010.
The kindergarten area displays colorful tiles depicting fairy tale scenes that decorate the walls and bring storytelling directly into the learning space. These artistic details show how educators in the 1930s designed rooms to inspire young learners through visual narratives.
The building sits in a quiet residential area and offers adequate parking space nearby. Those interested in viewing the artistic details in the kindergarten spaces should request access in advance from the current owners since it is now privately owned.
The kindergarten area features custom-built child-sized benches and reversible blackboards that showcase how classrooms were specifically designed for young children in that era. The hallways are decorated with hand-painted tiles depicting scenes from children's literature such as Cinderella and other classic tales.
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