Abandoned 1910 One-Room Schoolhouse, Tuscola County

I am so glad this old schoolhouse is still standing. We need more of these around instead of knocking them down to make way for another dollar store.

Old one-room school houses don't get much cooler than this. Out in the bare countryside of Fremont Township in Tuscola County – between the villages of Caro & Mayfield, east of Saginaw in the thumb - lies the long-abandoned North Grove one-room schoolhouse.

Built in 1910, the school had an impressive long life, holding classes until 1966. The outside was perfect when it was time for recess, but when the weather was bad, then what? I'll tell you what: the basement was in good enough shape that it was used as a playground for recess when rain or snow blocked the kids from playing outside.

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IT'S DEMISE:
When the kids started getting bused five miles to nearby Mayville, the school had no choice but to shut down. The classes may have lasted just 50 years, but the school way outlived its scholastic run.

Located at the intersection of M-24 (Mertz Road) and W. North Grove Road, the school was used for migrant worker housing during the 1970s. Over the years, attempts were made to restore & preserve the school – also attempts to demolish it. Locals hope it can be saved and used in the future for reunions, weddings, dinners, and other get-togethers.

Why is it named “Northgrove”? The intersection began as an unincorporated community called "Northgrove" with its own post office that lasted from February 21, 1899 to March 15, 1901. Nine years after the post office closed, the school was constructed at that same intersection and open for business. The former village of "Northgrove" does no longer exist, but the old school and some of the old homes still do.