Wooden Old Stone School Onsted Michigan

05/29/2026

Successful teaching week at Wooden Old Stone School in Onsted, MI! Third graders enjoyed 19th century recess games, Potawatomie and French language lessons, elocution, penmanship, geography, history, geology, and more. Thanks to lead docents Kris Ann Berger and Ron Ryan along with assistant June Elwell and Michelle McLemore Also, thank you to Onsted schools for supporting field trips which bring history to life.

Drop in at the first Open House of the year, June 6, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. for a gardening make-and-take and to explore the site. Open house activity hosted by Laura Pitock and June Elwell. Historian Ron Ryan will also be available for area history discussions.

05/15/2026

There is something sacred about old places.

Perhaps that is why the Wooden Old Stone School Onsted Michigan, built in 1850, at the corner of Stephenson and Hawkins, in Onsted, MI, speaks to my heart.

For several years, I have had the joy of serving as a docent there, welcoming visitors through its doors and helping preserve the stories held within those weathered walls. Stories of children who once carried lunch pails across dusty roads, recited lessons at wooden desks, and rang the school bell long before technology ever entered a classroom. We also host local schoolchildren for field trips. As the bus stops over the hill, the students walk to this building, which holds so much history, and step back into a classroom to experience what learning was like a century ago.

But seasons change.

Due to health challenges, I have had to step back from some of my commitments this past year. And if I am honest, releasing things we love is not always easy. Yet I am learning something important in this season of life:

Not everything is ours to hold forever.

Some things are ours to nurture… and then share.

What a gift it has been to watch a new — and much younger — group of volunteers step forward with energy, creativity, and deep appreciation for this historical gem. They are breathing fresh life into the schoolhouse with monthly activities, community events, and continued preservation efforts that ensure these stories will not be lost. The Open Houses are the first Saturday of each month, June through October, with a Christmas event in December.

One of the projects especially close to my heart is the Oral History Project created in 2019, featuring interviews with former students and neighbors connected to this one-room schoolhouse. Listening to those voices reminds me that legacy is not simply about buildings or photographs.

Legacy is about stories.
Values.
Faithfulness.
The willingness to pass the torch so others may continue the work.

And perhaps that is true for all of us.

We plant seeds we may never fully see bloom.
We teach, encourage, love, mentor, write, parent, volunteer, pray, and serve — trusting God with the harvest that comes later.

The Wooden Old Stone Schoolhouse has stood for over 175 years because, generation after generation, people have chosen to care enough to preserve it.

What are we preserving for those who come after us?

I would love for you to stop by the first Open House of the season on Saturday, June 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The featured discussion will focus on gardening preparation and planting, facilitated by June Elwell and Laura Pitock. It feels fitting somehow — talking about planting seeds in a place that has been cultivating minds and memories since 1850.

Some things are not ours to keep.
But they are absolutely ours to pass on.

And that may be one of the most beautiful forms of legacy of all.

05/13/2026

SAVE THE DATE: June 6th 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Join June Elwell and Laura Pitock at the school for a fun discussion of garden prep and planting. An on-site make-an-take garden project will be offered for youths. The historical DVD about Wooden and interviewing former students will also be available to watch. Also, this year we reveal a special coin found on site and donated to the Wooden School. You'll have to come in to hear the story and see this historical treasure!

05/04/2026

Wooden School website has been updated for the 2026 event year listing all Open House topics and dates. We are looking forward to sharing diverse topics each month to help you and your family explore how life, education, and history of our area can support and enrich us still today. Check out our offerings, ponder filling out the volunteer sign-up page at the link provided, or donating to the cause. Visit our main website at https://woodenoldstoneschoolhouse.mailchimpsites.com/events .

Also, tonight at the American Legion at 6:30 p.m. will be a community planning event for the America250 July 4th weekend celebration. Hope to see you there.

Between May and December every year we host monthly open houses to share fun, family-friendly experiences and history on the schoolhouse and the area community.

04/18/2026

Gearing up for the 2026 Season. Thanks to the volunteer who recently trimmed up the lawn.(Chase Reidy?) Looking good! The team is firming up Open House topics and is looking forward to Onsted's third grade visiting at the end of May as part of their frontier unit.

If you are interested in helping with maintenance, teaching, open houses, or the fall festival, please email [email protected] . We'd love to have you as part of the team.

03/18/2026

The Lukomski family lived at 12530 Stephenson Road during the 1940s, possibly as tenant farmers. (Some of you might know it as the former Coberley house). Lukomskis walked up two hills to attend Wooden, District #6 school. The group photo shows three Lukomski children attending: Lorraine, Benny, and Jeannette (Janet). Benny's senior photo is at the left. Lorraine and a granddaughter stopped in to her former residence one day to look around the old home and share stories with her granddaughter.

Our early years and the communities in which we grow up help shape our views, our hopes, and our standards. May we acknowledge where we come from and find the best in it to remember.

Does anyone remember these students?

Class Photo : Top Row: Elwyn Fish, Lawrence Parkhurst, Marion Lloyd, Lorraine Lukomski, Elwyn Edwards; Middle Row: Janet Fish, Lilburn Parkhurst, Charles Schultz, Benny Lukomski; Front Seated Row: Helen Barrows, George Barrows, Jeanette/Janet Lukomski, Raymond Merx, Willis Parkhurst, Ernest Fish, Maurice Fish.

12/31/2025

How might early residents have celebrated New Year's Eve? Research says similar to Christmas: wassailing (singing) and being invited in for a drink and bread, shooting off guns, gifting oranges or nuts, thoroughly cleaning and then burning sage or bay leaves, giving hugs, dancing, and even flipping to a random page in the family Bible for verse advice to focus upon.

May your festivities be joyful, safe, and a blessing.~ From our Old Wooden Stone School Association family to yours.

12/18/2025

Looking for a hands-on activity needing minimal materials that you can do at home? How about creating a Thaumatrope or Wonder Turner? It's a toy from the Victorian era and easy to create with a little paper, imagination, pen, and string. Check out the following guide and post pics of your creations back here on our page! Happy creating! https://www.yac-uk.org/activity/make-a-victorian-toy

Make a Victorian Toy - A Thaumatrope, in this fun activity. A Young Archaeologists (YAC) activity.

12/07/2025

Wooden Old Stone School's 175th year wrapped up this weekend with Onsted's third grade Christmas programs and our final Open House with hot cider, cookies, home-made Victorian crafts, and a lot of love and fellowship. Thank you to all who participated and we hope to see you all next spring.

12/05/2025

Thank you to the Lenawee ISD Tech Horticulture Class for making the pine window decorations for our Christmas festivities this weekend! And to student Brad for helping load our vehicle. Talented teens learning great skills and charity to make our future stronger.