Historic Scottville schoolhouse bricks to be preserved as demolition begins

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

SCOTTVILLE — As crews prepare to tear down the city’s oldest building, several hundred bricks from the 137-year-old former Scottville schoolhouse will be salvaged and offered to the public, preserving a tangible link to the community’s past even as the structure itself disappears.

According to Mason County Treasurer Andrew Kmetz IV, of the Mason County Land Bank, the bricks will be retained during demolition and later made available to residents and others interested in keeping a piece of local history.

Demolition of the long-vacant building at 209 N. Main St. is expected to begin late next week with asbestos abatement, a process projected to take about a week and conducted under state and federal safety regulations. The project is funded through a State Land Bank Authority Blight Elimination Grant using federal dollars.

“This building has been part of Scottville’s story for well over a century, and while it’s unfortunate we can’t preserve it, saving some of those bricks gives the community a way to hold onto that history,” said Kmetz.

Before demolition begins in earnest, water that has accumulated in the basement will be discharged into the sanitary sewer system after testing confirmed it contains no hazardous contaminants. Additional asbestos removal and inspection will follow once the site is safe to enter.

Full demolition is tentatively scheduled between May 4 and May 28, with Grand Rapids-based Pitsch Companies contracted for the work. Crews will also remediate about 400 square feet of contaminated soil identified in the front yard to ensure the property is left as a clean, buildable lot.

“At the end of the day, the structure had deteriorated to the point where renovation simply didn’t make economic sense,” Kmetz said. “Our responsibility is to protect public safety and position the property for future use.”

The decision to demolish follows years of failed redevelopment efforts. The Mason County Land Bank Authority acquired the property after ownership transferred from Alexandria McDonald when attempts to rehabilitate the building stalled. Local officials determined that continuing renovation without substantial financial backing would yield an unreasonable return on investment, making preservation infeasible.

The building has not been in active use for at least two decades and has fallen into severe disrepair. Structural issues include a collapsed gymnasium roof and widespread deterioration, conditions that led city officials and inspectors to conclude the building is unsafe and beyond practical rehabilitation.

“While it’s difficult to see a historic building come down, the reality is that it had reached a point where it posed risks,” Kmetz said. “By clearing the site, we’re creating an opportunity for something new that can serve the community moving forward.”

The Mason County Historical Society has acknowledged the building’s deterioration has surpassed its historical significance.

The school’s bell is now located at Spartan Community Field.

Scottville School as it was built in 1888.

The schoolhouse, constructed in 1888, represents the second generation of organized education in Scottville. Its roots trace back to 1877, when local residents met on a woodpile at what is now State and Main streets to form a school district. A permanent frame school was built in 1878 before the community constructed the enduring brick structure a decade later.

The building expanded over time, with north and south wings added in 1911 and a gymnasium constructed in 1927. It served as Scottville’s high school until 1959, when a new high school opened, and then continued as a junior high until 1976, when the Mason County Central Middle School was completed.

After the school district sold the property, the building housed a Christian seminary for a short period and later accommodated retail businesses in the 1990s. It has since remained largely vacant, steadily deteriorating despite its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

The Mason County Land Bank Authority, established to return blighted properties to productive use, stepped in as conditions worsened and redevelopment prospects faded. Following demolition and environmental remediation, the authority plans to seek proposals for future development of the site.

Officials are urging the public to stay clear of the site during demolition, warning that entering the area could result in prosecution.

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