History of Montieth/Trombly School

Since 2024, with the demolition of Chandler Elementary (Built 1904) ,the former Montieth later known as the Trombly School has been celebrated as the 2nd oldest abandoned school in Detroit behind the M. M. Rose School (Built 1898). With overcrowding at nearby schools Montieth was proposed as a school as early as 1903. The original Hibbard school served located on the site of the present day Montieth and was closed in 1902 due to poor sanitary conditions but reopened after protests from parents. In the aftermath of the protests the district made it a priority to replace the school. Montieth was debated for years for its final location of where it would be built, originally the district debated between building the school next to the existing Scripps School (built 1898). Or replace the Hibbard School (Built 1886). Ultimately due to the protest years earlier, and the poor sanitary conditions the Hibbard School site was chosen and Hibbard was demolished in 1905, for the construction of the Montieth School that stands today. Construction began in May of 1905 and by 1906 the Montieth School was complete enough to welcome students for the 1906 school year. Montieth is known for its namestone being misspelled with the school engraved as Montieth instead of Monteith. School records early in the schools history used both spellings of the school. Montieth didn’t have room for a playground until 1921, and didn’t feature a gymnasium upon opening in 1906, so students would play in the street, forcing Hibbard St. to be closed on school days. Early in its years as a school Montieth was attended by primarily French students. By the 1930s enrollment at Montieth was up to 600 students, but fell to around 375 in the 40s. Then rose again in the baby boom of the 50s. Montieth was one of many older schools that received a addition throughout the 60s. With increasing focus on civil rights and upgrading schools to accommodate the growing black population in Detroit, many older schools were replaced or given a small addition. While schools like Hancock, Campbell, and Turner were demolished for their replacement school in the 60s. Some like Montieth and Cary (Demolished between 1982 and 1992) received additions in the 60s and 70s. Around 1980 Montieth School close and later became Eastside Middle School Development Center in the late 80s. Before becoming Charles C. Vincent Academy in 1996. Another change would come in 2002 when the Trombly High School program was moved after the original Historic Trombly High School dating back to 1914 closed. In its later years Trombly served as a alternative high school program that served the district's most at risk students, some of whom were abandoned by their families, were wards of the courts, or expelled from other schools. In 2010 the school was closed due to budget cutbacks and the Trombly program was moved to Kettering High School, until closing for good in 2012 with the closing of Kettering. While closed in 2010 the school looks to have had a brief use by a church with pews present in a room that would represent a auditorium room of a typical early 1900s era Detroit Public School.