Jericho School, Geneva Township, Van Buren County, Michigan

Location: 42.3459, -86.2059, at 67916 M-43, South Haven, MI.

Jericho School (Geneva District No 3) was built in 1882 by architect and builder John Cornelius "Corny" Randall only five miles east of the Lake Michigan shoreline, was in use until the early 1960s, and now houses a party store. It is a brick schoolhouse, with most of the brick painted white. There are four rows of bricks that run under the roof eave on the front of the building which are painted green. Just under those green bricks is a row of bricks placed diagonally into the structure making a type of dental molding. The outline of 5 large tall windows exists on the side of the building that hasn't been added onto, and there are barely-projecting brick arches painted green above those 5 windows. The windows themselves are bricked over since there is no need for windows or daylight in a party store. A bell tower still exists on the roof though no school bell is inside it, and a round school identification sign stating "Jericho District No 3, 1882" still exists above what was once the front door. It's current owners bought the schoolhouse in 1997. In its conversion to a store, I'm sure it has been modified a lot. It has additions at its front entrance and along one side and it has a metal roof. But it retains enough vestiges of its roots to be easily recognizable as a one-room schoolhouse.

    
Jericho School, at 67916 M-43, South Haven, Geneva Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, is now a party store.
    
Jericho School, at 67916 M-43, South Haven, Geneva Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, is now a party store.
    
Jericho School, at 67916 M-43, South Haven, Geneva Township, Van Buren County, Michigan, is now a party store.

Here's a past photo of Jericho School:

    
Jericho Schoolhouse Information from the Bess Britton One-Room Schoolhouse Collection at the Webster Memorial Library in Decatur, Michigan

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