110. Douglas Elementary School
Location: 261 Randolph Street, Douglas
Date: 1957 to present
With four classrooms and a multipurpose room, this Douglas Elementary School was built to replace the grand Douglas Union School at 130 Center Street. The new school building cost $90,000. At the time, the careful attention paid to proper lighting, temperature control, ventilation, lavatory facilities, interior colors and even chalkboards was considered advanced for a “country” school. The building won an Association of School Administrators award for excellence in design. Additional classrooms were added in 1963 when the Douglas and Saugatuck school districts were combined, and then again in 1994 and 2023. The original 1957 school is now incorporated inside of these additions.
In 2008, the original Douglas Union School bell that had been on display at the front of the elementary school was “given back” to the Douglas Union School as part of its reuse as the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center. Today the bell rings to call people for summer “Tuesday Talks” or whenever the History Center wants to mark a special occasion.