Zachariah Chandler Elementary
Chandler Elementary School was a school on the east side of Detroit, named for former mayor Zachariah Chandler. It was built in 1905, and like many other schools in the area was almost immediately overcrowded. From 1913 to 1914, the number of students grew from 1,600 to 2,362. While the number dropped the next year as more schools were opened nearby, admission continued to increase, and an additional wing was built in 1922. Another was built in 1961, but by then the population of the city had peaked, and enrollment was on its way down.
With just 362 students in 2002, the school district announced that they were going to close Chandler due to the age and condition of the building. While the school was given a one year reprieve to increase its numbers, enrollment continued to fall, and the school closed in 2004. Students transferred to A.L. Holmes, Rose and Stephens schools, all of which closed within a few years.
The Chandler building is notable for its age - built in 1905, it is one of the oldest remaining schools left in the district, though possibly not for long. The 2010-2015 Detroit Public Schools master plan listed Chandler as being demolished to make way for a new school building, as several other schools in the area are consolidated into one.
