Hand School

Hand School - Class Pictures

Land records indicate that the Hand School District No 11 stated around December 31, 1879 when George E, Hand sold one half of an acre of land on the southwest corner of section 6 in Brownstown to the school district for $1.00. This land was situated at the northeast corner of Inkster and Sibley roads.

The school building was a one room wooden structure housing all grades. As the need arose, another one building was moved in and the students were divided by age. The first 8th grade commencement of the three graduates was held on May 28, 1908.

Sometime in the late 1930's the district acquired land in section 7 of the township on Inkster road, just south of Sibley road. In 1939 a red brick two-room school was constructed. It is believed that the name of Hand school was carried over to the new site. As the population increased, a four room block building was constructed in 1943. In 1954 the next addition joined the two structures - a large kindergarten room and 4 more classrooms. In 1953 the multipurpose room (cafeteria/gymnasium) was built.

In 1968 the State of Michigan ordered that small districts in the area had to combine to form one new school district and construct their own high school, thus Woodhaven School District was formed consisting of Hand Elementary, Bates Elementary, Carson School, Cadillac Elementary, and Maple Grove.

With the population boom of the 1970's - a new school was in the planning stage and the district closed Hand Elementary School in January 1978 and the students were sent to Mark Wegienka Elementary School on Arsenal Road between West and Van Horn roads. The property on Inkster was sold in December 1978 to the Downriver United Community Center.