The District Number 8 Schoolhouse in the Celery Flats Historical Area was the 2017 recipient of the Michigan One-Room Schoolhouse Association's "Schoolhouse of the Year" award. The HDC received an honorary plaque and a $250 cash prize! Portage is the 6th recipient of this award, which is one of MORSA's main programs.
The District Number 8 Schoolhouse was built in 1856 on Oakland Drive, just south of Shaver Road. Originally known as the Prairie Edge School, it was used until 1947 and later converted to a private residence. The City of Portage purchased and moved the school to the Celery Flats Historical Area in 1990, restoring the building to its original schoolhouse use.