Historical Architecture of Grosse Pointe – Kerby Elementary School

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Last week we explored a distinctive block of Stephens Road that runs from Ridge Rd to Charlevoix Ave. This pretty section is the location of some of the finest Ranch homes in Grosse Pointe, along with several larger residences, including a splendid Colonial built by prominent builder Louis C. Miller.

This week, in honor of Grosse Pointe History Day at Ford House on February 4, we are going to begin a three-part series that will focus on the history of some of the schools in Grosse Pointe. Grosse Pointe History Day is an educational program that encourages students to explore their community’s history. We begin the series with the story of one of the oldest schools in the community – Kerby Elementary school.

Previously, we have researched the history of several schools, including:

Kerby School
The origins of Kerby Road can be traced to land owned by John Kerby (born 1754 in Albany, New York). It is alleged he settled in Grosse Pointe around 1796, following the purchase of 120 acres of land from his father-in-law James Donaldson. The land Mr. Kerby acquired extended from the lake to Mack Avenue, it became the location of a large farm and the original Kerby homestead. It is reported Kerby Road began life as a lane on the farm – it was this tree-lined lane, running through the center of the Kerby property that years later would become known as Kerby Road. Source: vanantwerpfamily.wordpress.com and Grosse Pointe News (February 1952).

The roots of Kerby school (District #2) date to around 1886, it was a one-room wooden schoolhouse located along Lake Shore Road between what is now Kerby and Lothrop. By the early twentieth century Grosse Pointe was beginning to transition into a year-round community. In 1905, Kerby school (District #2) constructed a new building for the growing number of students, located at 104 Kerby Road. It was designed by the renowned firm of William B. Stratton and his partner at the time Frank C. Baldwin. Stratton and Baldwin were a partnership that began around 1893 and continued until 1911. Mr. Baldwin was the first of many partners Stratton would work with during a long and distinguished career. Image courtesy: Grosse Pointe Historical Society.

Over the coming years it is reported the number of students who were enrolled at the Kerby school continued to grow. By 1921, Grosse Pointe was served by five separate school districts:

  • District #1 (old Robert Trombly and Cadieux schools)
  • District #2 (Kerby school)
  • District #3 (Vernier school)
  • Fractional District #7 of Grosse Pointe and Gratiot Townships (Hanstein school, north of Mack Avenue and now part of the City of Detroit)
  • Fractional District #9 (Cook school on Mack Avenue near Lochmoor)

That same year it was reported “citizens started a movement to consolidate the five school districts in the Grosse Pointes. The consolidation was approved by voters on December 23, 1921. Source: Grosse Pointe Public School System. On January 27, 1922, the first Board of Education was elected. The members were:

  • George Defer, president
  • Charles Paye, secretary
  • Charles Poupard, treasurer (an office he held for 26 years)
  • John R. Kerby, trustee, and president (1926)
  • Lewis Smart, trustee.

Also in 1922, it was reported Cook school was incorporated and the students were sent to Kerby school. By 1923, four school buildings were in use by the Grosse Pointe School System – Cadieux school (used for high school and elementary pupils); the old Robert Trombly school; Kerby school; and the Vernier school. Source: Detroit Free Press (April 1930). By 1928, Kerby school had an enrollment of 161 students.

In October 1929, during fire prevention week, it was reported “the Board of Education learned that the Kerby school required immediate attention “to prevent it from being closed by the state fire marshal. Fire escapes on the new addition from the assembly room on the second floor to the ground, outside exits for all basement rooms used as assembly places, and insulated ventilators were some of the deficiencies cited.” Source: Grosse Pointe Civic News (October 1929).

By September 1938, Kerby school was one of the oldest of the district school buildings in use and was a prominent facility for the community.  From the late 1920’s through late 1940’s it is understood the school had served as a part-time station for the Grosse Pointe Public Library, as did the Shores Village Hall. In 1951, the original Kerby school building was closed to students when the new elementary school, of the same name, was fully completed.

In 1985, the original Kerby school building, built in 1905, was demolished “to provide the Farms municipal offices with more parking.” Source: Grosse Pointe News (June 2005).

The New Kerby School
Between 1948-1950, a new Kerby school was constructed, located at 285 Kerby, its present location. It is alleged the land was acquired in 1928, from E.J. Tucker who sold the plot to the school system as the site for the “new” Kerby school. It was designed by the firm of Derrick and Gamber. Prolific local architect Robert O. Derrick and his then partner Branson Van Leer Gamber had worked together since around 1922. Kerby was one of three schools designed by Derrick for the Grosse Pointe Public School System. The others were Pere Gabriel Richard school (1928-1930), and John D. Pierce school, which he also designed with Gamber (1938-1939). Image courtesy of Google Earth.

It is reported the first phase of the new school opened in September 1949, for grades three through 6. The second phase of the building was completed in 1951 and welcomed kindergarten through second grade students. Source: www.gpschools.org. Following the completion, Kerby Elementary school was one of four school buildings completed that year. It was named after John R. Kerby, an original member of the Grosse Pointe Board of Education from 1922-1926 (he was president for the last year of his service). It is understood a crescent window was rescued from the old Kerby school and installed in the new building. By 1954, the school had already begun to expand, voters approved a bond issue to add two rooms to the building. Since then, the school has continued to increase in size, and over the years extensive alterations have been made to the building. Images courtesy of: Grosse Pointe Public School System and Google Earth.

Kerby Elementary school has “a long history of community leaders and learners.” Today, it remains an integral part of the Grosse Pointe Public School System and to the community, just as it did in 1905.

 

 

* Photos courtesy of the Higbie Maxon Agney archives unless stated.
** Research, information, and data sources are deemed reliable, but accuracy cannot be fully guaranteed.

 

 

Written by Katie Doelle
Copyright © 2025 Katie Doelle