Two community members were honored at Bohannon Schoolhouse for bringing the schoolhouse building to Central Michigan University campus a little over 50 years ago.
Bohannon Schoolhouse is meant to show visitors what an authentic one-room school building looked like as well as serves as the location of the Gerald L. Poor Museum. The building is used by education and museum studies students as well as other studies areas at CMU. The building is also available for community use.
Bohannon Schoolhouse built in 1901 and originally located in Jasper Township. The schoolhouse served as a fully operating school building before it closed in 1950 due to declining enrollment and rising operating costs, then was converted into housing for migrant workers in the area.
Years later, the building was annexed to the St. Louis Public School System, and then was sold to Carl Ross in 1959 and James Lensher in the 1960s.
Due to efforts from the local community and the university, the school building was brought to the CMU campus in 1970. CMU’s Center for Cultural and Natural History were looking for an old schoolhouse to convert into a museum on Central’s campus and the Mt. Pleasant Realty Company located and purchased the Bohannon Schoolhouse before donating it to the Center.
The Center for Cultural and Natural History, the Isabella County Historical Society, and volunteer citizens and students helped with restoration work to the interior and exterior. Also, the Mount Pleasant Federated Garden Club added different roses, shrubs, and forsythias among other plants to the outside.
“It’s a monument to a bunch of different people,” Dr. Jay Martin, CMU director and curator of history, said.
John “Jack” Neyer and Keith Feight were instrumental in relocating the building to CMU campus.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Neyer and Feight received certificates from representatives with the CMU Museum Studies Program. The certificates were given out during a real estate office meeting for Coldwell Banker Mt. Pleasant Realty at the schoolhouse.
The two both received a legacy award, which is considered the highest award given out by the Museum Studies department. Neyer and Feight were one of the first recipients.
“We wanted to recognize them for their hard work,” Dr. Martin said. “Their role was pivotal in bringing the school to campus, otherwise it wouldn’t happen.”
The schoolhouse is located on the southwest corner of West Campus Drive and Preston Street on the campus of Central Michigan University.
For more information, contact the CMU Museum of Cultural and Natural History at cmuseum@cmich.edu or call 989-774-3829.
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October 28, 2021 at 11:07PM
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Community members honored for work bringing Bohannon Schoolhouse to CMU - The Morning Sun
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