Clio Logo
Historical School Buildings of Rochester and Rochester Hills, Michigan
Item 5 of 6
This one-story brick building was constructed in 1929 to serve the Avon Township #4 rural school district, also known locally as the Hamlin district. The building stands on what was once part of the farm of Avon Township pioneer John Fairchild Hamlin. The original building has been expanded several times to accommodate a growing school population. The Hamlin rural district was consolidated with the Rochester Community Schools in 1949 and the building has served as an elementary school location for RCS since that time.

Hamlin School, door on south elevation, 2020

Hamlin School, door on south elevation, 2020

Hamlin School, south elevation, 2020

Hamlin School, south elevation, 2020

Hamlin School, south and east elevations, 1929

Hamlin School, south and east elevations, 1929

The Hamlin School building was built in 1929 to replace a frame building that served the Avon Township School District #4 near the same location. In September 1928, property was acquired for the school from John and Harriet Dixon, and the new building was opened to students in 1929. The 1929 Hamlin building was originally a two-classroom school, but was expanded several times over the succeeding decades.

Avon District #4, Hamlin, was was consolidated with the Rochester School District in 1949. The school was closed due to declining enrollment at the end of the 1982-83 school year, but was re-opened in 1986. In 1993, the students were moved to another facility to allow a complete renovation of the Hamlin building. The school is named for the family of John Fairchild Hamlin, a pioneer settler of the area; the school stands on land that was formerly part of the Hamlin farm.

Mallon, Max. One Hundred Years of Rochester Schools, 1865-1965. Rochester, Mich.: Rochester Board of Education, 1972, p.80.

"New Wing Revives Hamlin School," Rochester Clarion, February 2, 1956, p.5.

"Budget Shakedown: School Taxes, Closings Command the Spotlight; Parents Challenge Phaseout of Hamlin," Rochester Eccentric, January 27, 1983, p.1.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Deborah Larsen

Deborah Larsen