Père Gabriel Richard Elementary School


Père Gabriel Richard Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, in Metro Detroit. It is one of nine elementary schools in the Grosse Pointe Public School System, serving sections of Grosse Pointe Farms and Grosse Pointe.
Built in 1929 on McKinley Avenue between Ridge Road and Kercheval Avenue, Richard Elementary School is part of the Beverly Road Historic District, one of the most notable historic neighborhoods in the Grosse Pointes. Grosse Pointe South High School, Grosse Pointe Memorial Presbyterian Church, and Christ Church Grosse Pointe are also part of the historic district, and they all are located within a few blocks of each other. In 1994, Père Gabriel Richard Elementary School was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture and engineering.

History

The Pere Gabriel Richard Elementary School, named after Father Gabriel Richard, first opened its doors in September 1930, with a population of 389 students. The school was the second elementary school constructed in Grosse Pointe Farms. It was designed by local architect Robert O. Derrick, who also designed the National Historic Landmark Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. An addition to the building was constructed in 1962.

Description and feeder pattern

The school is two-and-a-half stories tall, constructed of two-color brick with stone trim and a slate mansard roof. The interior of the structure features marble hallways, decorative plasterwork, and Pewabic tile fireplaces and fishponds.
Residents zoned to Richard are also zoned to Brownell Middle School and Grosse Pointe South High School, both in Grosse Pointe Farms.