Lost school, Greenfield Park, 1916 to 2016
Greenfield Park Elementary School
Demolished in 2016
- Opened
- 1916
- Torn down
- 2016
Designed by Van Leyen & Schilling
Greenfield Park Elementary School stood in Greenfield Park from 1916 until 2016. Here is what it was, who made it and where to find the spot today.
Then and now
What stands there now
Today
A vacant lot
Detroit's Greenfield Park Elementary School, designed by Van Leyen & Schilling, stood on this spot for 100 years. It came down 10 years ago. Today the spot is a vacant lot.
- 1916 Opens Greenfield Park Elementary School
- 2007 Closes Greenfield Park Elementary School
- 2016 Comes down Greenfield Park Elementary School
- 2026 Today Vacant lot
How we know what stands there
- OpenStreetMap vacant lot at the map point
Checked October 25, 2026. We never guess: a site no source speaks for shows no answer.
What is there now
A vacant lot
- Today Source: OpenStreetMap
- Greenfield Park Elementary School came down Source: Historic Detroit
We checked Wikidata, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Rebuild Detroit's landmark records and the county parcel records on October 25, 2026.
The story
In 1916, in the years Detroit became the Motor City and built like it meant to stay on top, Greenfield Park Elementary School went up in Greenfield Park.
The design came from Van Leyen & Schilling.
It is gone now, demolished in 2016, and the map pin below marks where it stood.
Timeline
- 1916 Built Designed by Van Leyen & Schilling
- 2007 Closed
- 2016 Demolished
- 2026 Today 10 years since it came down
Where it is
17501 Brush St.
On this map
- 1 Greenfield Park Elementary School This place
- 2 Dakota Inn Rathskeller 0.2 mi
- 3 Palmer Lodge Apartments 0.5 mi
- 4 First United Methodist Church 0.5 mi
- 5 Whitmore Plaza Apartments 0.5 mi
- 6 Merrill Fountain 0.6 mi
- 7 Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District 0.6 mi
- 8 Detroit Unity Temple 0.6 mi
- 9 Spruce Log at Palmer Park 0.8 mi
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
Belle Isle Casino, by Van Leyen & Schilling. Photo: Tichnor Brothers, Publisher, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Architect
Van Leyen & SchillingArchitecture firm. Designed Holy Family Roman Catholic Church (1910) and 4 more in Metro Detroit
Also by Van Leyen & Schilling
More from Detroit in the 1910s
-
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
House of worship, built 1916, Neo Gothic, by George F. Diehl
Photo: Nheyob, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Book Tower
Hotel, built 1917, Italian Renaissance, by Louis Kamper
Photo: Albert duce, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
David Whitney Building
Hotel, built 1915, Beaux Arts, by Graham, Burnham & Co.
Photo: St8fan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Detroit Athletic Club
Building, built 1915, by Albert Kahn
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
-
Farwell Building
Building, built 1915, Chicago School, by Harrie W. Bonnah
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
![Cadillac Square Building, [Cadillac Square and County Building, Detroit, Mich.]](https://rebuilddetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/rd-photos/landmarks/landmark-4325-2210-thumb-8479e96c24.jpg)
Cadillac Square Building
Hotel, built 1918, Beaux Arts, by Bonnah & Chaffee, demolished 1976
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
Around the block
It is in Greenfield Park. See the neighborhood's homes, pros and story.
- Dakota Inn Rathskeller Building, built 1933 0.2 mi
- Palmer Lodge Apartments Built 1924, Old English 0.5 mi
-
First United Methodist Church
House of worship, built 1916, Late Gothic Revival
Photo: Andrew Jameson at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.5 mi
-
Whitmore Plaza Apartments
Building, built 1928, Art Deco, by Wiedmaier & Gay
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.5 mi
- Merrill Fountain Monument, built 1901, Italian Renaissance 0.6 mi
-
Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District
Building, built 1925, Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods)
Photo: Elisa.rolle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
0.6 mi
- Detroit Unity Temple House of worship, built 1956, Art Deco, by Arnold & Fuger 0.6 mi
- Spruce Log at Palmer Park Structure, built 1904, by Mason & Rice, demolished 0.8 mi
Sources
Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.