When Washington Township Supervisor Sam Previti and Romeo High School teacher Craig Bryant first approached us about helping move the historic Thorington Schoolhouse, I was both humbled and a little nervous. This isn’t just any building we’re talking about. This schoolhouse has been standing since before 1859, educating generations of local children until 1955. That’s nearly a century of learning, growing, and community building happening within those walls.
But that’s exactly why we couldn’t say no.
When our team first walked through the old schoolhouse with Jeff and Bobby Geck from Ultimate Framing Company, Scott Jeffers from Primestar Roofing, Brian Norton and the Mans family from Mans Lumber, and Tom Denek from Denek Contracting, we knew we had our work cut out for us. The roof had caved in, and some of the large floor beams, 26-foot-long beauties that had held strong for over 160 years, had finally succumbed to time and weather.
Here’s what struck me most: this wasn’t just about moving a building. This was about preserving a piece of our community’s story for future generations. Every board we carefully milled to match the existing lumber, every beam we replaced, every shingle we laid, it all mattered because this schoolhouse matters to our neighbors and their children.
Working alongside the students from the construction trade pathway of the Romeo Community Schools’ Design Engineering & Manufacturing program (DEM Academy), made this project even more special. Watching those kids load up all the existing cobblestones, stones that will eventually be reused at the schoolhouse’s new home, reminded me why we do what we do. We’re not just building structures; we’re building connections between past and future.
The technical work was substantial. Jeff and Bobby’s team re-framed about 25% of the roof and sheeted the entire structure to ensure stability for the physical move. Scott and his crew at Primestar did incredible work getting everything ice and water sealed to make it watertight. And those floor beams? Let’s just say it took some serious coordination with Tom and the whole team to get two 26-foot replacement beams positioned perfectly, with Brian and the Mans family providing lumber that was expertly milled to match the original craftsmanship.
What excites me most is what’s coming next. This schoolhouse is moving from a simple crawl space to a full basement foundation at its new home at 31 Mile and Mound. The DEM Academy students have already put in the footings, and we’ll be forming and we’ll be forming and pouring those basement walls to give this historic treasure the solid foundation it deserves for the next century.
As we watched this piece of history travel down 31 Mile Road to become the centerpiece of Thorington Park, I was thinking about all the hands that built this place originally, all the students who learned within its walls, and all the future visitors who will discover this gem thanks to the township’s vision and investment.
More than anything, I’m grateful our team could play a small part in preserving something so meaningful for our community, alongside such dedicated partners and students.
It’s as personal to us as it is to everyone who calls this area home. Because at the end of the day, we’re not just building homes, we’re helping build the kind of community where history is honored, where students can touch the past, and where families can create new memories in beautiful spaces.
Thank you to Washington Township, Romeo Community Schools’ DEM Academy, and all the volunteers who made this preservation project possible. Here’s to the next chapter of the Thorington Schoolhouse story!
