Abot us | Chesterfield Historical Society

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About Us

The Chesterfield Township Historical Society was founded in 1993 for the purpose of preserving the history of Chesterfield Township, Michigan.

In 1996, the Odrobina family donated the Weller one room schoolhouse, which was located on Gratiot Avenue and 22 Mile Road to the historical society. Available records for the school date back to 1862. Classes were taught continuously in that school until 1954. The school and the outhouse were moved to the Historical Village in August 1996. The outhouse from the school has been rebuilt and stands alongside the school building. An annex was added to the back of the schoolhouse for a furnace, restroom and storage. The bell tower was rebuilt in 2021 in honor of the 25th anniversary of the schoolhouse move.

In April 2005, the Chesterfield Historical Society moved a log cabin from its location in an undeveloped Washington Township woods to its present home in the Historical Village. The interior and exterior of the log cabin have been restored. Some period furnishings have been donated by local residents. Along with the log cabin, a pump house and a very unusual spiral shaped outhouse were also acquired.

In August 2006, the Chesterfield Historical Society moved two buildings from the former property of Bernard and Ceola Trinity (two of the first major historians of Chesterfield Township). The buildings were restored and are used as a cobbler shop and a blacksmith shop. The forge from the blacksmith shop was also acquired.

On September 23, 2006 the grand opening of the Chesterfield Township Historical Village was celebrated. The Historic Village hosts many activities including historical reenactments, heritage festivals, antique car shows, holiday Christmas light walk, weddings, and school group tours.

In September 2016, the Chesterfield Historical Society moved the Kolping Chapel from its location in Kolping Park near the intersection of Sugarbush and Cotton Roads. The small roadside chapel was built in 1932 by the Detroit Chapter of the Kolping Society. The inside of the chapel walls are covered with chips of marble, granite, shells and other specimens which were donated by Kolping churches and Missions worldwide. Air conditioning was added to the chapel and schoolhouse in 2019. The chapel is used for small weddings.