West Side School, wood building (Flushing, Michigan) – Built ca. 1850s – was a one-room schoolhouse that served Flushing’s early west-side families when the expanding village straddled both banks of the Flint River. This modest wooden building was established as School District No. 16 (West Side), distinct from the main District No. 2 on the river’s east side. It stood along the west bank of Cole Creek near today’s Seymour Road, just south of Emily Street. For decades, the West Side School was a staple of community life: educating local children, hosting church meetings, and reflecting Flushing’s growth west of the river in the mid-19th century

Founding & Early Years

Flushing’s first school classes were held in the late 1830s in a lean-to kitchen at the home of pioneer Ezekiel R. Ewing. By the 1840s and ’50s, as Flushing’s population grew, distinct school districts formed on each side of the Flint River. The West Side School was built in the early 1850s. Constructed from hand-hewn pine timbers, it measured roughly 20 by 40 feet with 12‑foot ceilings, simple clapboard siding and tall multi-pane windows typical of frontier schoolhouses. Inside, a single partition could divide the space for different age groups, and three-foot wainscoting provided a ledge for chalkboards and tallow candles or oil lamps. Like many rural one-room schools, West Side School was central to community life. It doubled as a gathering place – even hosting an Adventist religious society on Sundays after regular classes ended.

Architecture & Setting

The original West Side School was a humble, one-story wooden structure crafted with durability in mind. It sat on a slight rise by Cole Creek (also called Coal or “Cold” Creek) near where it joins the Flint River. Massive hand-cut beams – some 8×18 inches at the center – braced its frame, held together with wooden pegs. The sturdy pine construction proved its worth: the school stood for over 60 years and was known for its solid craftsmanship.

Notable Changes & Growth

By the 1890s, Flushing’s population boom and higher attendance strained its little schoolhouses. In 1898, District 16 replaced the aging wooden structure with a new two-room brick West Side School on Oak Street. The brick school featured two classrooms and modern amenities for the era, reflecting educational reforms of the late 19th century. Meanwhile, the original wooden building found new life: it was sold to private owners in 1911, relocated to Terrace Street, and converted into a family residence. (It remained inhabited until 1981, when the historic structure was finally torn down.)