Sessions School, Berlin Township, Ionia County, Michigan

Sessions School was built in 1847 on the estate of Alonzo Sessions, former Lieutenant Governor of Michigan and a prominent early settler of Ionia County, and is the oldest cobblestone schoolhouse now standing in Michigan, as well as the oldest landmark in Ionia County, Michigan. The structure is simple, with a main entrance and windows on all sides, and a gabled shingle roof trimmed with carved vergeboard attached to the eaves. The cobblestone construction is from available local stone. Two larger windows are on each side, and two small ones are on the front. I didn't photograph the back. There is no bell tower. The schoolhouse could house 35 students and was in use for 51 years until 1898 when a larger building was constructed across the road since the Sessions School was too small to take care of the increased enrollment. After years of neglect the Sessions Schoolhouse was extensively renovated in 1918 by the Ionia County Board of Supervisors. In 1958, the building was re-roofed, the walls again repaired, the windows boarded up, and a door installed to foil vandals.

Sessions Schoolhouse, built in 1847, used until 1898, the oldest cobblestone schoolhouse now standing in Michigan, and the oldest landmark in Ionia County. Located in Berlin Township, Ionia County, Michigan.

Location: 42.9553, -85.1329, at 2999 W Riverside Dr, Saranac, MI.