Wooden Old Stone School Onsted Michigan

08/29/2026

We know Google map keeps insisting that the school is on the corner of Slee and posting a map by itself to our event pages. But it is inaccurate. 11999 Stephenson Road is the closest address to get you there with GPS though technically the school has no mailing address. Got o North Hawkins Hwy, West Stephenson Rd (the dirt part--not the Loch Erin end) and you can't miss us.

We hope to see you September 5th, October 3rd, or December 6th. Or all of them! Special events each day.

08/26/2026

Family tree history can yield more than country of origin. Often there is overlap of first and middle name use, medical conditions, skills & abilities, and some really cool stories of grit, grace, and heart. Visit Wooden Old Stone School Saturday, Sept. 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and meet with Lenawee County Family Researchers and school staff to learn both about the site but also more about your own history. It took generations to get you here. Perhaps it's time to find out more about them and about yourself? Bring names, dates of birth, death, location of birth or death if you have them, and your curiosity. A family tree activity will be available for youths as well.

08/18/2026

Thank you, Jeff and June Elwell for tidying up around the Onsted Hwy corner sign today. Also, thank Ron Ryan for taking care of the downed tree branch over the shed. The kids will be glad they can safely play annie-eye-over on their next school visit! It takes a village to keep up this gem in the community!

08/17/2026

It is with heavy hearts that we share Wooden Old Stone Schoolhouse board member Tom Luck has passed. Tom was a strong supporter of keeping the Wooden school a gem in the Irish Hills. We acknowledge his generosity, patience, and involvement.

See his life review here: https://www.marryfh.com/obituaries/Thomas-Tom-Charles-Luck?obId=49209746&source=fb0&fbclid=IwY2xjawTwKd1wZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6UF2HXy6v1yOdtFsdRPR_5OYmka_pkeoN9OwxMqPLDO-BIzUSA4y6IxWXjNQ_aem_ILeCuFkgjFJpHsdW1buWmw

View Thomas "Tom" Charles Luck's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

08/09/2026

The 2nd annual Free Family Fall Festival at Wooden is a go for Saturday, October 3rd. We are looking for antique tractor exhibitors, vintage vehicles (1955 or earlier), crafts (weaving, crocheting, embroidery, etc.) and early skill demonstrators (carving, wood working, tin punch, etc.), casual singers or musicians (acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonica, spoons, flutes/fifes), donations for the fundraiser bake sale tent, and help with the kids' activities. Pet-table farmyard animals?

Please share with anyone who might be interested in helping us offer this fantastic Irish Hills event once again. Message us here, email [email protected], or call/text Michelle at 517-270-0986.

07/28/2026

August 1: Opportunities to be educated during America250 continues! Come check out revolutionary war soldiers that moved to MI with the help of Marcia Cole from the Lenawee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The site is open 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Cole will present from 12 - 1 p.m. There will also be a colonial/revolutionary war coloring activity on site for youths as well as docents to share history of this 1850 school and period artifacts.
The event is FREE to the public (though your donations help keep our 501c3 open). The school is located at the corner of North Hawkins Hwy and Stephenson Road (north of Onsted). To stay up on Wooden School events, follow facebook.com/woodenoldstoneschoolhouse.

07/05/2026

It was a wonderful day to celebrate America250 at Wooden School. Thank you to the 25+ people of all ages (mostly first time visitors) who came to check us out. Ron shared information about the site, tools, skills, and traditions of early times. Lisa shared stories and artifacts of Wooden school neighbors and students as well as early families and students of Union (Onsted) one room school. She also helped guests determine which one room school they might have attended back in the day. Michelle guided youth visitors making potato prints adorning gift bags or note cards with stars, George Washington silhouettes, and happy faces. One young man even tried potato juggling and led a class with his cousins!

Thanks again to all and we look forward to folks joining us in August for our next open house event. We are striving to offer something new at each of our open houses and hope to see you back again soon.

06/30/2026

Drop in Saturday with us in the shade (and fans) for a short bit. We'd love to help you celebrate this historic 4th of July! Make it memorable. Don't forget afterwards to join in the multiple Onsted events. See the comments for a full schedule reminder.

06/23/2026

Monday was a great day for an impromptu weeding bee and lawn maintenance at Wooden. Thank you to all who honked, waved, or contributed directly. We may not be chopping wood to keep the fires going, but the neighborhood still contributes to keep this long-term landmark of living history in great shape for community events.

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.