Garrison School Lofts and Town Homes
Rockford
This 1887 brick Italianate, located in the Signal Hill neighborhood, is the oldest surviving schoolhouse in Rockford. Designed by local architect George Bradley, the main building, an 1892 addition, and a 1920 gymnasium (Peterson & Johnson, architects) sat vacant for 12 years before the Morrissey family purchased the complex for redevelopment in 2001. Aware of the property’s historic importance to the community, the owners pursued and were granted listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The school and gymnasium then were carefully rehabilitated, while retaining many of their historic architectural details, which were incorporated into new residential units. The revitalization of these two buildings, plus 18 new townhomes on the adjacent lot, has been a catalyst for broader community revitalization efforts.