The building at 1150 East Lantz Street was constructed in 1926 as the Benjamin A. Nolan School, part of Detroit’s rapid expansion of public education during the city’s 1920s population boom. Designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, with attribution to noted architect Wirt C. Rowland, the school reflects the era’s emphasis on durable, architecturally distinguished neighborhood institutions.

Built of brick with stone detailing, the structure follows the restrained, classically influenced design typical of Detroit Public Schools buildings of the period. It was intended to serve a growing east-side community shaped by the rise of the automobile industry.

Unlike many schools from this era, the Nolan School has remained in continuous educational use and today operates as Nolan Elementary–Middle School, preserving its role as a longstanding anchor in the neighborhood.