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James A. Garfield School
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| Location: | Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built: | 1896 |
| Architect: | Malcomson & Higginbotham |
| Architectural style: | Late Victorian |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 84001857[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | January 26, 1984 |
| Designated MSHS: | March 20, 1974[2] |
The James A. Garfield School is a school building located at 840 Waterman Street in Detroit, Michigan. It is also known as the Frank H. Beard School.[3] The school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1984.[1][2]
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The James A. Garfield School is one of the oldest existing schools in the city of Detroit, as well as one of the least altered. The original school, named for president James A. Garfield, was designed in 1896 by Malcomson and Higginbotham[3] for the Springwells Township school district,[4] replacing the previous four-room schoolhouse that had become drastically overcrowded.[3]
In 1907, the Springwells School District merged with the schools of Detroit.[4] After the merger, the name of the building was changed to honor Frank H. Beard, the director of the Springwells school board for 17 years.[3]
The brick school is built in the Victorian Romanesque style. The symmetrical front facade is organized into five bays, with the central and end bays projecting outward and the other two receding.[2] The entrances are topped with semi-circular arches, and the structure boasts a variety of window shapes and sizes. The elaborate brickwork, multi-planed roofline, and the red brick tower conveyed the importance the community attached to public education.[4] An addition to the original school was built in 1900.[3]
Today the school houses the Beard Early Childhood Center.[3]
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