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NILES — The Niles History Center has launched a new initiative to help the former site of Ferry Street School could soon receive a new lease on life.

The organization announced it has launched a Patronicity campaign to raise funds for the Ferry Street School Park project. 

“We are excited to announce our campaign to create Ferry Street School Memorial Park,” the organization stated in a Facebook post. 

If the campaign goal is met, Patronicity offers a matching grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The History Center Director successfully used Patronicity in 2019 to raise funds for the Chapin Mansion Accessibility project.

“Every dollar you donate is matched to help us reach our goal,” the post stated. “Together we can create a community park to memorialize this historic school.”

Readers interested in donating or learning more can find the project at patronicity.com/schoolpark. Those preferring to donate offline can do so at the Niles History Center and the contribution will still be matched.

A fire in May 2023 destroyed the majority of the structure with only the façade of the original school building being saved.  Ownership of the property was transferred back to the City of Niles in November 2024.

The façade was saved with the goal of preserving the remaining piece and incorporating it into a public space to memorialize the historic significance of the structure and create a community gathering location. 

Constructed in 1867 at a cost of nearly $3,000, the Ferry Street School opened in January 1868 as Niles’s school for “colored children.” In 1870, the Niles school system was integrated, and the facility closed. It reopened as an integrated school in 1873, with the west wing added in 1903. From 1956 to 1975 the School for Exceptional Children was located here. In 1975, concerned citizens began restoring the original building to its nineteenth century style. 

Nineteenth century one-room schools in this community typically contained a woodburning stove, woodbox, water bench, coat pegs, wooden blackboards and long rows of desks. One teacher often taught two grades. Lessons were in reading, writing, spelling, numbers, declamation and geography. The building received a historical marker in 1980 from the state’s Michigan History Division.

For several years, the building was home to the Ferry Street Resource Center, which assists area residents in securing resources and to provide educational and life-enrichment programs and activities, with a goal of bridging existing educational, cultural and societal gaps that exist within the community. 

In September 2023, FSRC moved to its new location at 317 N. 7th St. – across the street from the site of Ferry Street School.