Efforts to preserve a small dome that once topped the old Lansing Eastern High School have failed

Efforts to preserve a small dome that once topped the old Lansing Eastern High School on Pennsylvania Avenue have failed.

The school is being demolished by University of Michigan Health-Sparrow to make way for a new psychiatric hospital.

Plans called for preservation of some historic artifacts from the school, including the cupola. A statement from UM Health Sparrow says workers tried to save the wood-framed metal dome but that it was in “poor condition” and not salvageable.

Andrew Muylle is a member of the Coalition to Preserve Eastern High School and Promote Mental Health, which worked to save part of the historic school from demolition. He says the health system promised the cupola would be saved.

“That’s what was said in this video that they released,” said Muylle, “And so the coalition, and the community that knew of that, assumed that would be happening. And it didn’t.”

Muylle says the coalition tried to negotiate with UM Health-Sparrow to preserve parts of the school, which opened in 1928. He’s disappointed that the cupola could not be saved.

“For some people maybe that cupola, maybe is a symbol or representation of this attempt at collaboration that we really, really tried for, and … just didn’t see anything come of it,” said Muylle.

In a statement, UM Health-Sparrow provided a list of items from the school that it did manage to preserve and donate:

• Seats from the auditorium and several historic light fixtures were given to the planned Ovation Center in Lansing.
• Chandeliers were given to the Ovation Center and the city of Lansing.
• Bricks will be distributed to the public, plus bricks engraved with names of individuals are being saved for a memorial garden.
• Flagpoles were given to Capital City Family BMX, which requested them.
• The 1927 cornerstone and stone arch are being saved for the memorial garden.
• A large conference table was donated to the Lansing School District.