Wasn’t Colin Powell a remarkable figure? This very spot holds a piece of his legacy. Right here stands the former Colin Powell Academy. It wasn’t always a charter school.
Before Colin Powell’s name graced its entrance this building served a different purpose. It began as St John Berchmans Catholic Church and School in 1923. The east side of Detroit was booming then. Belgian immigrants flocked to the area. Father Pamphile C Depew established the parish. The first mass? Held in a machine shop. Yes a machine shop.
The original church and school shared a building. Think of it a single room schoolhouse for eight grades. Imagine the chaos the noise the sheer energy. A year later they built a new church and school on Warren Avenue. Crippling debt almost sank the parish. The Servite order stepped in. They rescued St John Berchmans. They paid off the debt. They ensured its growth.
By 1943 1300 children attended St John Berchmans. A high school wing was added in 1948. Servite High School opened with modern technology overhead projectors televisions. It even had a full sized gymnasium. Servite became a powerhouse in sports. They won championships in football basketball and cross-country. A convent was built across the street. The church was renovated. But by the 1970s the school’s enrollment declined. In 1986 it closed.
The building sat empty for years. Then in 1996 it was transformed. It became the Colin Powell Academy a charter school run by Central Michigan University. The academy opened with 200 students from kindergarten to sixth grade. Students wore uniforms. They followed a strict code of conduct. General Colin Powell himself visited the school. He spoke to the students offering guidance.
Initially test scores improved. The academy thrived. But financial troubles lingered. The old building was expensive to maintain. There were many leadership changes. Test scores fell. In 2010 Central Michigan University revoked the charter. The Colin Powell Academy closed its doors forever. But its story remains. A testament to ambition. A reminder that even remarkable institutions can face challenges. It’s a story etched into this building’s walls. A legacy that whispers on the Detroit wind.