The Central School is a school building located at 325 West Grand River Avenue in

East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, although a small portion extends north into Clinton County. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 47,741. The city is located immediate ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1986. The building now houses

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

's Child Development Laboratories.

History

For years after the Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) was founded in 1855, children in the area were tutored at home or in some cases were sent to schools in nearby

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

. However, at the end of the nineteenth century, the college population began growing and a new school district encompassing the college and surrounding residential areas was established in 1900. The first school building was constructed in late 1901, located on the spot of the present building. Due to rising enrollment, the school was enlarged in 1905 and 1909. However, in 1916, a disastrous fire completely destroyed the school. The school board contracted Lansing architect Edwyn Bowd to design a new fireproof school, and the building was constructed the following year. It was the only school building in East Lansing until 1922, and served high school students until a separate high school was built in 1927. A library addition was constructed in 1937, and four workrooms were added in 1952. It continued to be used as an elementary school by the district until 1984, when it was closed due to declining enrollment. The district sold the school to private developers. It was eventually purchased by Michigan State University, and now houses the University's Child Development Laboratories.

Description

The Central School is a two-story red brick Neoclassical building with a flat roof, measuring 70 feet by 100 feet. It sits on a raised foundation, with a cut stone beltcourse separating the foundation from the upper floors. The front facade is five bays wide, with the three center bays slightly recessed. The center bay has a recessed entrance with paired doors and a transom under a segmental arch. Brick Tuscan pilasters flank the doors. The windows are set in groupings of three double hung multi-light sash-type units, separated by wooden mullions. An iron cornice circles the building save for the center of the front facade.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Ingham County, Michigan Neoclassical architecture in Michigan School buildings completed in 1917 1917 establishments in Michigan