Photograph taken by Walter E. Cleave when the building was opened.
Caption: Howell Union School
Union or Central High School was on Division Street (later named Michigan Avenue)
Erected 1869

In later newspaper articles, the name "Union" and "Central" seem to be used interchangably.

As described by A. Riley Crittenden in his book, "A History of the Township and Village of Howell, Michigan", 1911, the Howell Union School was built in 1849, rebuilt in 1856 and tore down in 1867 to make was for the Central School, pictured above. Union School was also called "The Castle" according the Crittenden because of the originally proposed size.

By 1886, the Central School was so crowded that the basement was used for school rooms, and a year later an agreement was made to build the East Ward School, (Barnard Street school) and in 1890, the West Ward School (Byron Road school) was erected.

The Union School building was demolished in 1920, replaced by the new Howell High School.  This building later was renamed Michigan Avenue Middle School when in 1968, a new high school was built on West Grand River Avenue.

Read the Livingston County Press August 28, 1963 article. In Library Use Only