Former Haunts: School Haus Square in Frankenmuth, MI

 

School Haus Square Shopping Mall

Growing up in Ohio, we spent a lot of time in Michigan. In addition to visiting my mom's family, we also took a near-annual trip to Frankenmuth. I still have some of the Christmas ornaments we picked up on those trips. After hearing about the School Haus Mall, I only wish I had the chance to visit on one of those visits.

Built in 1927, the shopping mall started life as the St. Lorenz Lutheran School. At the time, Frankenmuth had six Lutheran school districts. The new school brought them all together and provided more opportunities for local students. When the state decided to pull funding from the districts, they began operating as independent schools.

Citing the need for more room, the school expanded in 1950. While building the addition, a time capsule from 1927 was uncovered. Unfortunately, it suffered so much water damage that many of the contents inside were not salvageable.

Teachers and students created a new time capsule that went inside the new cornerstone. The new addition provided space for its growing student base as well as more classrooms, a new science lab, and even a gym. Though the school had the same name for many years, the Frankenmuth Public School District changed it to the Main Street Middle School when it took over operations in 1985, making the old school public again.

One look at the old building makes it easy to see why it shut down. Not only did the school take a lot to heat and cool due to its sheer size, but it also needed a lot of renovations. It was cheaper for the district to close the school and build a new one than to renovate the Main Street Middle School. Students said goodbye in the 1970s, but locals said hello again when the former school reopened in 1980 as School Haus Square.

Shoppers came from across Michigan to explore School Haus Square. Not only did they want to check out the more than 30 stores, but they also wanted to see the artifacts in the on-site military museum. Also known as the School Haus Shopping Mall, it paid homage to the city's past but gave shoppers access to modern stores at the same time. Most of the shops were locally owned and operated, including a store that sold handmade candles and another that offered pewter goods.

Many pointed to the mall as proof that historic buildings could serve new purposes. That success came to an end in the early 2000s. The building's owner started ending leases and asking tenants to move out. After sitting vacant for several years, Maurice Davis bought the old mall.

Though Davis initially planned to make a performing arts center to benefit the whole community, he bought it at the wrong time. The economic recession made it almost impossible to get new construction off the ground. Davis spoke with the Frankenmuth Historic Preservation District Commission and received approval to tear it down. In May of 2009, School Haus Square had its swan song.

When it was still standing, School Haus Square was one of the most haunted spots in Frankenmuth. Stories claimed a teacher stayed late one night in the 18^th century to grade some papers when she heard a noise in the hallway, looking out, she found a man standing and staring at her. Though she tried to run, the man caught her and brutally murdered her. She stuck around her old school to make sure no one else suffered the same fate.

If you read the history above though, you'll know that the old school wasn't even there in the 19^th century. Another issue is that the school did not begin hiring female teachers until the late 1940s. Was this just a local legend or did the resident ghost come from another time?

Though School Haus Square in Frankenmuth no longer stands, I wanted to share its history and story. Look forward to a new series where I occasionally tackle haunted places from the past.

School Haus Square Before Demolition - Photo from E. Brow on Flickr