Exploring history of the Pestalozzi School.

Pestalozzi School is one of the many forgotten schools of Detroit, Michigan that no longer exist. Much history of this school has been forgotten and not easily preserved. Finding any documented history about this school is fairly difficult and is not an easy task. Pestalozzi School served as a school for physically handicapped children. Pestalozzi School had also served as an elementary school called Pestalozzi Elementary School.

Pestalozzi School was organized and established by Detroit Public Schools in 1929 during the 1929-1930 school year. Pestalozzi School was housed in the old Bagley School. The school later opened that year. Within the first year, between 200-300 students attended this school. The student population was all female as Pestalozzi School was a school for girls. Many of these female students were physically handicapped children in the age range of 5 to 16.

Running athlete Isabel Merriweather was the school’s most famous alumni. Isabel Merriweather was an athlete who participated in many marathons held by Detroit Public Schools during the 1930s. She had won many championships during that decade. Many locally known athletes of Detroit attended this school. Many of their students won individual high honors in the pentathlons. (Ref: Detroit Free Press, Page 10, Sunday, May 17, 1931)

A new building for the Pestalozzi School was built at a cost of $245,404 dollars in 1936. By then, the Pestalozzi School was known as a “special school”. The school was already an elementary school. (Ref: Detroit Free Press, Page 14, Wednesday, December 16, 1936)

The Pestalozzi School shared the Logan School when the school was being built and remodeled. This happened a number of times. The Pestalozzi School was remodeled a number of times. The Pestalozzi School was also known as the “Pestalozzi School for Girls”. (Ref: https://logan2012.weebly.com/)

By 1940, conditions were already overcrowded at Pestalozzi School. The schedule had to be split up into half-day classes that year  because of overcrowded conditions. Enrollment had increased greatly. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/98843133/)

Pestalozzi School was closed down in 1950. Pestalozzi School students were soon moved in with Logan students at Logan School. Detroit Public Schools sold the property to Clarence W. Preston in 1950 where he opened his own hospital called Mt. Lebanon Hospital. Clarence W. Preston opened Mt. Lebanon Hospital as a black hospital. From 1950 to 1968, Mt. Lebanon Hospital (Mount Lebanon Hospital Inc.) occupied the building.

Mt. Lebanon Hospital was known as a “Jim Crow hospital” that was opened in a predominantly black area of Detroit. 75% percent of the patients and faculty were black. (Ref: http://detroitarchitectjournal.blogspot.com/2012/10/jim-crow-hospitals.html)

Mt. Lebanon Hospital shut down in 1975 for whatever reason. The Pestalozzi School was demolished in 1980.

Pestalozzi School was located at 2610 14th Street, Detroit, Michigan, US 48216.