Kingston School, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan

Location: 43.44352, -83.16622, at 2499-2001 S Cemetery Rd, Deford, MI.

Kingston School (Kingston District No 1) was erected in 1897. It's difficult to see this structure as a schoolhouse since it has a non-traditional shape, but it has a centered front door, a school identification sign above that door, and a massive tower-like bell tower (with no visible school bell inside). There's really only one legal unobstructed viewpoint to see the school from, so I'm unable to report on the back or the right side. Five days after I took these photos, on August 17, 2017, Kingston was hit by a tornado, but thankfully the schoolhouse was spared.

    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan. Five days after I took this photo, on August 17, 2017, Kingston was hit by a tornado.
    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan. Five days after I took this photo, on August 17, 2017, Kingston was hit by a tornado.
    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan. Five days after I took this photo, on August 17, 2017, Kingston was hit by a tornado.
    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan. Five days after I took this photo, on August 17, 2017, Kingston was hit by a tornado.

A year after that tornado I made this photograph of the still-intact school:

    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan.

In 2022, another 4 years after that photo, I returned and took these two photos, one of the front, looking quite the same as always, and one from the back, the first I've ever taken from back there.

    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan.
    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan.

In early 2024, I made another trip to the schoolhouse (it's just 4 miles off my straight-line path to the tip of Michigan's Thumb). Late winter made the vegetation more transparent and I was able to get these photos. The 1st photo shows the schoolhouse's right side, and the 3rd and 4th photos show the back of the schoolhouse. That 4th photo best shows the collapse of the back wall, and makes it clear that the school was built with 2 layers of bricks, as insulation (according to the current owner).

    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan.
    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan.
    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan.
    
Kingston School District No 1, Erected AD 1897, on Cemetary Road, just north of Legg Road, Kingston Township, Tuscola County, Michigan. - back wall has collapsed, notice the school was built with 2 layers of bricks, as insulation (according to the current owner)

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