The Greater Washington Area Historical Society was organized as a non-profit in 1975 with the former Washington High School as its museum.
Location:
58230 Van Dyke
Washington, MI 48094
Phone:
586-786-5304
In 1916, the local Board of Education decided to borrow $10,000 to build and furnish a brick school for grades 1 to 10. The plan included 3 classrooms on the upper level with 12 foot ceilings and 6 windows in each room. Two classrooms were to be 23 by 28 feet and the third 28 by 32 feet. The downstairs would be an auditorium. The building officially opened in January of 1917. This school served the community until 1972, when the current Washington Elementary School was built and opened "next door" operated by the Romeo School District.
Today, the 1916 schoolhouse is "home" to the Greater Washington Area Historical Society. A group of volunteers established the museum in 1975 with exhibits that tell the history of Washington Township. Displays include a collection of George Washington portraits, U.S. Bicentennial items, and a Statue of Liberty Centennial Collection. There is also a Freedom Shrine that includes more than 30 photographic reproductions of documents covering the history of the United States. Other exhibits include old photos of the Washington and Romeo area, and military items from the Civil War, World War I and II, and Desert Storm.
One room of the museum contains the largest collection of scouting items in southeast Michigan including manuals, awards, equipment, and uniforms for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Campfire Girls.
The museum is open the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month from June to November from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. The historical society is a Michigan non-profit organization with a 501 (c) (3) federal tax exempt status. The lower level has a meeting room for public programs and there is a gift shop upstairs with many historical publications. Special events include an annual George Washington Birthday Party in February and an Alumni Day in September. For more information, call 586-786-5304 (answering machine).
