Clarenceville School District / Louis E. Schmidt Auditorium

The Clarenceville School District originated as Fractional School District No. 5 in 1837 and served the children of present-day Livonia, Farmington Hills, and Redford. The village of Clarenceville was the last stagecoach stop on the Lansing to Detroit plank road, and was named for Postmaster Thomas Clarency, who owned what became the Botsford Inn. In 1907 the post office closed, but the school district, the inn, and the cemetery remained. Louis E. Schmidt Auditorium The Louis E. Schmidt Auditorium was home to the Clarenceville Jazz Series from 1969 to 1982. Jazz greats like Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Harry James, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, and Maynard Ferguson performed here and held workshops for middle and high school students. Built in 1968, the auditorium was named for Louis E. Schmidt, who served as school superintendent from 1948 to 1966 and in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1967 to 1968.