The Evolution of Roeper’s Buildings

Spaces that support and advance an educational philosophy

Original Publication Date: Spring 2017

George and Annemarie grew up in the idyllic setting of Marienau, the German boarding school founded by Annemarie’s parents, Max and Gertrud Bondy. The school had a cozy scale that encouraged community and comfort, offered expansive and accessible natural beauty, but was close enough to a wealthy town to offer a variety of cultural opportunities. This was the model George and Annemarie sought to replicate in their schools. 

Citation: Ruff, M (2017). “The Physical Environment,” The Roeper School Archives, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Coventry Crest

The former Music Room is now the Admissions Office.

The former Dining Room is now the Development Office.

The building we now call Hill House on the Bloomfield Hills campus was originally completed in 1929 as a family home by Alfred and Zillah Stephens. They named it Coventry Crest, to commemorate Zillah’s family’s origins in Coventry, England. The building remained in the Stephens’ family until 1946, when George and Annemarie Roeper purchased it for their school.  The building was the sole space for the school until the Middle Building was built in 1960. Until the 1990s, it was known as the Main Building but is now called Hill House.

The Stephens’ grandson created a website about the history of the building. In another connection between the Stephens family and the school, Alma Burrows, a beloved Roeper Nursery teacher from 1956-1972, had been a nanny for the Stephens family before coming to teach at the school.

Gallery of Building Photos

A selection of views of The Roeper School