End in sight: Demolition begins on old Eastern’s historic wing

In 2016, some community members opposed selling Eastern High School to what was then the Edward Sparrow Hospital Association. The school board sold it anyway. The only caveat was a weak provision that Sparrow’s plans would have to respect Eastern’s history. The school district vacated the landmark building in 2019.

In 2024, when the newly merged University of Michigan Health-Sparrow announced plans to tear down old Eastern, community members fought to have the building’s west wing and auditorium declared a historic site. Under pressure from UM-Sparrow and trade unions, the City Council rejected the effort.

Now, three weeks into the building’s demolition, protesters are still fighting to save artifacts — and even that looks unlikely.

As excavators tore into the building’s west wing Tuesday morning, a yearslong effort seemed to end in failure.

The west wing was constructed in 1928 and was designed by the prominent Michigan architects Irving and Allen Pond, who also designed the Michigan State University and University of Michigan student unions.

Preservationists’ remaining efforts were focused on the iconic cupola and interior artifacts.

University of Michigan Health-Sparrow spokesperson John Foren said Tuesday that “due to health and safety issues,” UM-Sparrow “cannot attempt to salvage any other material” from the building.

UM-Sparrow said Feb. 25 that it was “working with alumni to preserve meaningful artifacts.” However, the alumni association’s president, Jim Lynch, has disputed that claim.

Foren reconfirmed Tuesday that the cupola that sits atop the west wing will be spared.

The hospital system intends to build a $97 million psychiatric facility on the school’s grounds. However, little if any of the land that old Eastern’s west wing and auditorium occupied will be used for the facility, according to plans UM-Sparrow has made public. Officials have said it has other plans for that space.

UM-Sparrow has made its case for demolition based on the hundreds of millions of dollars it says it would have cost to save old Eastern — money UM-Sparrow argues should be spent on health needs.

No one has been able to independently verify that number, though. The health system’s executives consistently rebuffed efforts by preservationists to visit the west wing and auditorium to assess its condition and archive what artifacts should be saved.

Dale Schrader, who has restored residential and commercial properties in Lansing, disputed Foren’s statement that it was no longer safe to remove artifacts.

“There are ways to get the materials out safely,” said Schrader, former president of Preservation Lansing. “If they wanted to, they could do it. They’re just taking the easy road.”

“We salvaged materials from Pleasant Grove Elementary when it was torn down,” Schrader said. “We salvaged materials from several homes for the land bank. We deconstructed homes and reused all the old hardwood and structural beams. They just don’t want to because it’s a little more difficult.”

Monday, 15 protesters called for the preservation of historic artifacts at old Eastern as the demolition crew blocked off parts of Pennsylvania avenue. One protester, Becky Stimson, said the protesters were particularly concerned about the iconic cupola.

“That was one of the reasons we were all out there,” Stimson said. “It was cold, the wind was blowing, our feet were freezing — and we were staring at that cupola.”

Foren reconfirmed Tuesday that UM-Sparrow will save the cupola for a planned memorial garden honoring the high school, but protesters have doubted the claim’s authenticity after a coalition member claimed Sunday that chandeliers were still in the auditorium.

Foren accounted Tuesday for the fate of at least seven of the auditorium’s light fixtures. However, it was unclear which ones. The auditorium and its hallway featured different styles.

He said “at least six” were donated to the Ovation Center for Music and Arts, a city of Lansing project under construction downtown on Washington Square.  He said the center may have received one more.

He said another was given to the city of Lansing.

An undated auditorium photo that was part of a 50th anniversary school history in 1978 shows at least 12 Art Deco chandeliers.

Dominic Cochran, who is overseeing the Ovation Center’s construction as its first executive director, said by text message Tuesday:

“Everything is still wrapped and crated but I was told we have two of the globe shaped fixtures with the globe printed on them and 6-7 of the white frosted fixtures from the auditorium hall. We don’t have any of the Art Deco style fixtures from the ceiling of the auditorium.”

Cochran went on to criticize himself for not doing more to save the Art Deco fixtures.

“When I had the idea,” Cochran said, “it was the same day they were handing over the keys to the demolition contractor, so we were lucky to get what we did. I told them we would take everything if it was possible. I blame myself for not having the idea sooner because I could have arranged the necessary lifts to get up to the ceiling, but it would have taken a few days to do so.”

Stimson said Tuesday, “We have photographs of the light fixtures hanging in the auditorium.”

Andrew Muylle, who with Stimson is part of the ad hoc Coalition to Preserve Old Eastern and Support Mental Health, said he was concerned about those chandeliers.

“Those 16 Art Deco chandeliers that hang in the auditorium are still there,” he said. “That’s the big-ticket item.”

“If they get trashed with everything else, that’s a travesty all on its own.”

Muylle said UM-Sparrow had been “dishonest” in communications.

“It hasn’t been collaborative in any way, shape or form,” Muylle said, “even though they’ve been continually claiming there has been collaboration involved.”

Muylle said seeing the west wing fall felt like “closing a chapter,” but he is still hopeful the auditorium — or at least parts of it — can be saved.

“There are still people, including myself, who believe we can reach people with enough power to half the auditorium demolition,” Muylle said. “It’s a very last-minute plea.”

“It’s not too late to do the right thing.”