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|
West Main School, early elementary
building, Kalamazoo, 1940, probably photographed by
Mamie L. Austin. This building was later known as the Annex.
The 1926 building is partially visible at the right. Kalamazoo Public Library Photo P-1007 |
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|
Building Chronology |
| 1917 |
The Kalamazoo Board of Education signed a lease
for a building on the south side of West Main Street between
Arlington and Prairie for the West Main Street School. The
lease ran from 1 September 1917 until 1 July 1918. [Board of
Education Minutes, 1917-1918] |
| 1920 |
Voters approved funding to construct a new
building on the West Main Street School site. The
cost of the building was not to exceed $85,000. It was
noted that the building then in use would only last one more
year. [Kalamazoo Gazette, 3 July 1920] |
| 1925 |
Architects Milton C. J. Billingham and
Leslie Cobb presented plans for the West Main Street School
to the Board of Education at their 31 August 1925 meeting.
Final plans were submitted on 5 October 1925. [Board of
Education Minutes, 1925-1926] |
| 1925 |
Builder Henry VanderHorst received the
contract for general construction for West Main Street
School on 20 November 1925. Work was completed on this
building in 1926. [Board of Education Minutes,
1925-1926] |
| 1955 |
Board accepted plans at their 5 May 1955
meeting for an addition to the 1926 building. The architect
was M. C. J. Billingham; the builder was the Ray Stevens
Company. Work was completed on 12 June 1956. [Board of
Education Minutes, 1955-56] |
| 1961 |
The architectural firm of Stone, Smith &
Parent was hired to do an addition to the West Main Street
School. A decision was made to build an addition rather
than to renovate the annex. Seth Giem & Associates was
awarded the contract for the construction of the addition.
[Board of Education Minutes, 1960-61 and 1961-62) |
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1958, updated to 1966 |
| 1962 |
The frame annex building used since 1918
was to be torn down. [Kalamazoo Gazette, 5 January
1962] |
| 1980 |
West Main Street School closed. [Kalamazoo
Gazette, 27 September 2002] |
| 2002 |
Former West Main Street School undergoing
extensive renovation. Tower, Pinkster, Titus Associates
were the architects, and Miller- Davis Company was the
general contractor. The building was gutted and the two
additions built in 1956 and 1962 were torn down. The
building was to be used as a professional development
center for the Kalamazoo Public Schools. [Kalamazoo
Gazette, 20 October 2002] |
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|
West Main School, later elementary
building, 1940, Kalamazoo, probably photographed by
Mamie L. Austin. The original frame building is partially
visible to the left of the newer brick building. Kalamazoo Public Library Photo P-1006 |
Compiled by Lynn Houghton, Kalamazoo Public
Library staff, February 2008.
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