This beautiful building at 2555 Burns Street in Detroit’s historic Indian Village neighborhood was designed by Albert Kahn and opened in 1914. Originally constructed as the Eastern Branch of the Liggett School, it served as a college-preparatory school for girls.

On March 17, 1923, Miss Jeannette M. Liggett, principal of the school, announced the closure of the Cass Avenue campus and the consolidation of operations at the Burns Street location. The new, larger facility, designed again by Albert Kahn, included a gymnasium and a large auditorium, costing approximately $300,000 (about $5.7 million in 2025 dollars when adjusted for inflation).

Founded in 1878 by the Rev. James D. Liggett, his wife, and their three daughters, Ella M., Frances C., and Jeannette M., the Liggett School began as a family venture housed in three dwellings on what is now Broadway Avenue. In 1881, it moved to a purpose-built structure at Cass Avenue and Stimson Place, then a quiet residential district. However, as Detroit’s industrial growth transformed the area, the school sought a more peaceful setting.

The move to Indian Village reflected that desire. By the early 20th century, the neighborhood had become one of Detroit’s premier residential enclaves, free from industrial encroachment. A board of trustees, including Burnham S. Colburn, G. D. Pope, James Inglis, Paul R. Gray, and Harry C. Bulkley, secured the Burns and Charlevoix property in 1913, establishing the Eastern Branch for kindergarten through eighth grade. With the 1923 expansion, the two Liggett campuses merged under one roof.

When Liggett School relocated in 1965 to its new campus in Grosse Pointe Woods, the Burns Street building was temporarily used by Riverside Lutheran Church for community activities. On August 8, 1966, the Waldorf School Association of Detroit signed a contract to purchase the former Liggett School. That same year, kindergarten and first-grade classes began, marking the start of what would become the Detroit Waldorf School’s long and enduring presence in Indian Village.

More on this building coming soon.