Tuesday, August 18, 2015
The original eight-room Morse School was built in 1957 on a ten-acre site at the center of Section27 on Robinwood Street. A 10-room addition, offices and multipurpose room were added in 1960 and 1961, giving an enlarged total capacity of 540 students.
The school was named for George P. Morse, a pioneer from the State of New York who came to the Michigan Territory around 1823, settling first in Royal Oak. Morse was appointed a delegate by the Baptist church in Troy, the third congregation of that faith organized in Michigan. This group, which met in the southern part of Troy Township, took steps to form an independent Baptist church, which was granted. In September 1825 they formed the “Baptist Church in Bloomfield.” In 1826 Morse moved to Section 27 in southern Troy Township.
George’s son, William, taught in a log house in Section 9 around 1825. That cabin burned, was rebuilt, and destroyed by another fire. This was not an uncommon occurrence in an era of open hearths. A brick school house was then constructed to serve the children in the Troy Corners area.
Photo: Morse Elementary School
To commemorate the City of Troy’s 60th Anniversary in 2015, we will publish a different story each day that highlights a person, discovery, or event that occurred locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally between 1955 and 2015 and that helped shape our lives and our community. We will try to post stories on important anniversary dates, but we also realize that dates are less critical than content and context. We will include the facts related to controversial stories, allowing our readers to form their own opinions. We invite you to read and comment on the stories. Your suggestions for topics are also welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TroyHistoricVillage. You can also email stories or ideas to the 365 Story Editor at ed@thvmail.org.
