Nellie Leland School
Encyclopedia
The Nellie Leland School is a school building, originally built to serve handicapped children, located at 1395 Antietam Street in Detroit, Michigan
(the former location of the Detroit Barracks, where Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant
served from 1849 - 1851.) It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2002. The building has been renovated into loft space.
Henry M. Leland
was a Detroit automotive pioneer who founded both the Cadillac
and Lincoln
automotive companies. His wife, Nellie Leland, was active in the philanthropic community, focusing on the hardships of poor citizens with tuberculosis
and promoting the scientific search for a cure. Nellie Leland died in 1910, but two years later, Henry built an open-air school to serve children in the early stages of tuberculosis, naming the structure after his wife.
At the time, there was no requirement for school systems to adapt to the needs of handicapped children. Leland encouraged Detroit school officials to build a school to serve the special needs of physically handicapped children, and in 1917 the Detroit School Board built the current structure at a cost of $111,495, transferring the name, Nellie Leland, from the earlier school. The Nellie Leland School contained innovative structural features that allowed handicapped children to learn, including such things as wheelchair ramps. The school proved popular, and in 1920, an addition was constructed to accommodate children awaiting admission; an elevator was added at the same time.
The Detroit school board operated the Leland school until 1981, when it was sold to a developer. In the mid-1990s, it was planned to use the building as a charter school
, but it has instead been turned into loft space.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
(the former location of the Detroit Barracks, where Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
served from 1849 - 1851.) It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2002. The building has been renovated into loft space.
History
Henry M. Leland
Henry Martyn Leland was a machinist, inventor, engineer and automotive entrepreneur who founded the two premier American luxury marques, Cadillac and Lincoln. Retrieved December 30, 2008....
was a Detroit automotive pioneer who founded both the Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
and Lincoln
Lincoln (automobile)
Lincoln is an American luxury vehicle brand of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln vehicles are sold mostly in North America.-History:The company was founded in August 1915 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac . During World War I, he left Cadillac which was sold to General Motors...
automotive companies. His wife, Nellie Leland, was active in the philanthropic community, focusing on the hardships of poor citizens with tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and promoting the scientific search for a cure. Nellie Leland died in 1910, but two years later, Henry built an open-air school to serve children in the early stages of tuberculosis, naming the structure after his wife.
At the time, there was no requirement for school systems to adapt to the needs of handicapped children. Leland encouraged Detroit school officials to build a school to serve the special needs of physically handicapped children, and in 1917 the Detroit School Board built the current structure at a cost of $111,495, transferring the name, Nellie Leland, from the earlier school. The Nellie Leland School contained innovative structural features that allowed handicapped children to learn, including such things as wheelchair ramps. The school proved popular, and in 1920, an addition was constructed to accommodate children awaiting admission; an elevator was added at the same time.
The Detroit school board operated the Leland school until 1981, when it was sold to a developer. In the mid-1990s, it was planned to use the building as a charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
, but it has instead been turned into loft space.