Defer Elementary School is a school building located at 15425 Kercheval in

Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan Grosse Pointe Park is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,555 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Bordering on Detroit with frontage on southern Lake St. Clair, it is the ...

Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the ...

. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1996 and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2001. A part of the Grosse Pointe Public School System, it serves much of Grosse Pointe Park.District Map
" Grosse Pointe Public School System. Retrieved on January 8, 2017.Zoning Map
"

. Retrieved on January 8, 2017.

History

In the first two decades of the 20th century, the once predominantly rural Grosse Pointe area transformed into a residential suburb of Detroit. In 1921, in response to the influx of families, five school districts in what is now the Grosse Pointe area were consolidated into Rural Agricultural District No. 1 (later renamed the Grosse Pointe Public School District). The first building constructed after consolidation was Defer Elementary School, built on the site of a rhubarb patch owned by Ludwig Meininger.Ann Marie Aliotta, Suzy Berschback
''Grosse Pointe,'' Arcadia Publishing, 2007, , p. 35 Defer was designed by architect George J. Haas and completed in 1924. The school was named for George Defer, who was at the time the president of Grosse Pointe Park. At the time of construction, the surrounding neighborhoods were quickly growing, and by 1927 the school was overcrowded. An addition to the school was constructed in 1928.

Description

Defer Elementary School is a three-story rectangular building built in the

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

style. This revival style was popular in Detroit and across the country in the years following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, and is symbolic of the prosperity of the era. The exterior is of brick with limestone detailing surrounding doors and windows. The doors are wood panelled with Gothic arches. The interior is decorated with Pewabic tile; in particular the kindergarten room contains a Pewabic fireplace and drinking fountain. The 1928 addition contains additional classrooms and a leaded glass conservatory.

Modern use and feeder pattern

Defer Elementary School is still used by the Grosse Pointe Public School District as an elementary school, and is the oldest building in the district.Defer Elementary School at a glance
from GrossePointeToday.com, retrieved 3/13/2010 Typical enrollment was 465 students, but as of 2010 that number had dropped to approximately 420. Residents zoned to Defer are also zoned to Pierce Middle School in Grosse Pointe Park and Grosse Pointe South High School in Grosse Pointe Farms.

References

External links

Defer Elementary School
official site {{National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Schools in Wayne County, Michigan School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Public elementary schools in Michigan School buildings completed in 1924 Michigan State Historic Sites National Register of Historic Places in Wayne County, Michigan 1924 establishments in Michigan