Capitol Hill School Museum
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Location: 602 E. Washington St (near Fairgrounds)
- Hours: By appointment only
This two-room schoolhouse served the city for 101 years. Deactivated in 1961, it was sold to the Marshall Historical Society in 1968. Since that time much restoration has been done. Capitol Hill School has been re-roofed, the building tuck-pointed, its surface ground and seal coated, and the trim painted. The bell tower, inspired by a photo of the school before the turn of the century, was reproduced as closely to the original as possible.
In 1972 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also listed on the Historical American Building Survey.
Inside the school, one room has been set up as a 19th century classroom. The other room is a museum for and about children, including antique doll buggies, hobby horses, bicycles, dolls, toys and doll dishes.
Source: Official web page about Capitol Hill Museum by Marshall Historical Society
http://marshallhistoricalsociety.org/attractions/5
Text from the historical marker:
Capitol Hill School
This 1860 building is the last of three Gothic Revival schools in Marshall. The name comes from its location on a site proposed for the Michigan state capitol. Donated to the Marshall Historical Society by the Board of Education in 1967, it is today a children’s museum with a restored nineteenth century classroom. It is listed in the Historic American Buildings Survey and the National Register of Historic Places.
Historic American Buildings Survey:
- Title: Capitol Hill School, 602 Washington Street, Marshall, Calhoun County, MI
- Other Title: Fourth Ward School
- Creator(s): Historic American Buildings Survey, creator
- Date Created/Published: Documentation compiled after 1933
- Medium: Photo(s): 2
Measured Drawing(s): 5
Data Page(s): 6
Photo Caption Page(s): 1 - Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html)
- Call Number: HABS MICH,13-MARSH,11-
- Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA (http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print)
- Notes – Significance: A mid-19th century, two-room schoolhouse of distinctly vernacular Gothic Revival character. / This is an interesting representative of a small school building type in the mid-19th century, which is virtually in its original state. The basic structure appears sound but the finishes and some wood detail need repair. The building is now used only for storage. [OLD INFO] / This two-room village schoolhouse, built in 1861, is an attractive representative of a type which has nearly vanished. Except for minor alterations, it remains in its original state.
- Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-42
- Survey number: HABS MI-227
- National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 91002053
Source: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/item/mi0026/