Lincoln Township begins restoration of historic schoolhouse

Published June 9, 2026

By David Hutchinson

Cleaver Guest Writer

Lincoln Township Clerk Carol Majewski hosted an informal tour of the old Lake George School building on June 4 at 4:30 p.m. Around ten people attended, including Clare County Historical Society members and area residents.

The building is located at the intersection of Pine Street and Arthur Road, opposite from New Beginnings Bible Church and about half a mile northeast of Lake George. It was donated by Larry Wyman to Lincoln Township a couple years ago. Majewski said the township received a "Michigan rehabilitation and stabilization grant" for "blight elimination" this year with help from Clare County Treasurer Jenny Beemer-Fritzinger. With funding secured, the project of restoring the schoolhouse could begin.

An old bus garage behind the building was demolished earlier this year. Renovation work began the last week of May with raising and leveling the ground at the back side of the building. Majewski said there was much work to be done--adding restrooms, a kitchenette, "well and septic," air conditioning, furnace, replacing windows, lights, roof, and encapsulation of lead paint. Bids were still being accepted for some of the work.

Once finished, the building was intended to be used as a community event venue. The back door would be the main entrance for accessibility. Majewski said it was exciting to preserve a piece of local history and bring it back to life. "It's a wonderful thing!"

The old schoolhouse's exterior features brick walls. The bricks were thought to match those at the Stephenson Wyman Funeral Home in Clare. Inscriptions at various spots around the building read "C.C.C. APR 5-1931," "Walk with God," and "Summer 1934."

On the interior walls is a series of murals painted by Charles Calkins, a Clare painter. The murals are titled "The Falls," "Life on the Tobacco," "The Wilds of Michigan," "Lake Windover," "Lake George," Sunset on Norway," "Silver Lake," "The Rockeys in Montana," "Castle Dawn," "Mud Lake," and "Moon Light on the Ojibwa." The murals were signed "C.C.C." and "C.C.Calkins" by the artist. The work was thought to have been done in 1931 because of the inscription outside.

The walls and floors have damage from the past. As part of the wall surfaces, the murals have varying amounts of damage. One is destroyed with no remaining image or title, just a fragment of framing. A nativity painting survives from the days when the building hosted churchgoers. Majewski said art restoration was a possibility being explored.

Local historian Jon Ringelberg has been following the restoration project and researching the building's history. In the early twentieth century, a sign was displayed above the front door, showing a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and reading "Lincoln Twp." Ringelberg had a replica designed and manufactured by Kopy Korner. At the June 4 tour, he donated the nearly-four-foot-tall aluminum sign to be used on the building's exterior.

The land for the Lake George School was originally provided by the Borst family, according to "Clare County School Houses" by Andrew M. Coulson. The brickwork was completed in late 1913 by masons Fred Loutrix and Mr. Leonard of Saginaw, according to the Clare Sentinel (November 28, 1913).

By the 1940s, the school was consolidated with Farwell. In the mid twentieth century, the building was used as the Lake George Community Church, according to the Clare Sentinel (March 24, 1960). The church built an addition which is being kept and renovated for the present restoration project.

The history of various local schools is compiled in "Clare County School Houses" by Andrew M. Coulson. That and other local history books are listed on the Clare County Historical Society website (clarecountyhistory.org), and many can be purchased from Amazon.com. The Dover School building is 150 years old, and it is open to the public as part of the CCHS Historical Complex, Saturdays 1 - 4 p.m. through September.