Howarth School was up on its toes, ready for the big move. Workers hoisted the historic school house onto beams earlier this week, and Wednesday, the 150-year-old building made its way from Silverbell Road to Friendship Park where a concrete slab awaited it.
‘After three years, I’m pretty excited,? said Township Supervisor Matt Gibb upon seeing the building Monday. This was the first he’d checked it out since moving preparations began.
‘It’s like seeing your child after they’ve been at summer camp for a month,? he said.
Gibb has a right to be excited as the project is three years in the making. Several years ago, Howoath was scheduled for relocation because of land development on Silverbell Road. The sluggish economy, however, halted development. Now Silverbell is slated for a 72-inch water main and roadway widening, putting the schoolhouse in jeopardy again.
‘We said ‘let’s just do the right thing and preserve it permanently,?? said Gibb.
Howarth will end up next to Porritt Barn in Friendship Park, on top of a foundation of original and new fieldstone.
On its way to a permanent home, Howarth will travel down Silverbell Road to Giddings and onto Waldon. From there it will sneak down a gravel drive alongside township softball fields to avoid the traffic light at Waldon and Joslyn Roads. At the corner of Clarkston and Joslyn, Oakland County Parks is allowing the moving crew to cut the corner, moving through the Bark Park. On Clarkston Road, the school house has smooth sailing to its final destination in Friendship Park.
Money saved from cutting out the Waldon intersection ? and would-be traffic light removal ? is around $8,000, according to Gibb, with similar savings at Clarkston Road.
The township spent $12,600 on the relocation, with another $25,000 raised by local students, according to Gibb. The supervisor estimates an additional $50,000 worth of labor, materials and services were donated for the project.
Gibb noted how cooperative Oakland County Parks were in assisting with the move.
‘Dan Stencil and his staff have been very accommodating,? he said.
Raising funds and awareness was a large undertaking that crossed many avenues in and around Lake Orion. Help came from Lake Orion elementary students, Upland Hills School students, Orion Township Library, Orion Township Historical Society, The History Channel, Citizen of the Year Larry Mullins and many others.
The township supervisor envisions Howarth School being a part of the heritage curriculum for local elementary schools, in addition to Township Parks and recreation programs.