401 East Michigan Avenue
This building, among the oldest in Grass Lake, has served multiple educational purposes and continues to be a cherished landmark.
In the 1830s, settlers established Grass Lake Center, a small village one mile east of the present-day downtown. A Methodist Church was built there and served as a place of worship until the 1840s. When the Michigan Central Railroad came through in 1842, the village center shifted westward to its current location, causing Grass Lake Center to decline. The Methodist Church building was placed on wheels and moved to 401 East Michigan Avenue, where it continued to serve as a church until the current Methodist Church was erected in 1862.
Afterward, the building was purchased by the Frank Denslow family, who converted it into a home, residing there until 1889. It was then sold to Monroe Guy Carleton of Jackson, a journalist and editor of the Jackson Morning Patriot and later the Grass Lake News. His daughter, Lois Carleton, married Otto Schlottman, and the home remained in the family for over 70 years. Eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Carleton Baum acquired the house. The history of this structure exemplifies how buildings in Grass Lake have been repurposed to fit the town’s evolving needs.
This building, among the oldest in Grass Lake, has served multiple educational purposes and continues to be a cherished landmark.