Michigan Roadside Attractions: Wooden Stone School, Lenawee County
Michigan Roadside Attractions on Travel the Mitten highlights our attempts to explore the many interesting things that can be found on the highways, byways and back roads of Michigan, ranging from the interesting to the unusual.
While driving Michigan’s back roads we’ve come across many old historic schoolhouses. One of the most photogenic ones we’ve found is the Wooden Stone School in Lenawee County, and it also happens to be one of the oldest one-room schoolhouses in the state. The Sessions School in Ionia County is believed to be a few years older, but is not open to the public like the one here in Onsted.
There is a Michigan historical marker next to the school that gives some background on its history: “In 1850 the Reverend Robert Wooden built this school, located in Cambridge School District No. 6. It is an example of early fieldstone construction, commonly found in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula. The school closed in 1955, and in 1979 was condemned by Cambridge Township. A group of citizens convinced the township to postpone demolition; in 1983 the site was deeded to the Wooden Old Stone School Association. The group restored the schoolhouse in 1989.”
The Wooden Stone School was recently honored as the Michigan One Room School Association’s 2023 Schoolhouse of the Year Award. They said “Lovingly cared for, and graciously shared with their community and visitors from all over, the Wooden Stone School is a gem. From the yearly third-grade students who come to an immersive day’s class, to the attendees of one-room schools who were interviewed for the recent oral history project and DVD recording, the Wooden Stone School is a vital part of MORSA’s mission to preserve our heritage.”
You can find out more about the schoolhouse on the Wooden Old Stone School Association’s website, including information about their May and October open houses. You can also check out their Facebook page for updates on special events. The school is located at the corner of Stephenson Rd. and Hawkins Highway, just northwest of Onsted.
