| Parkwood-Upjohn
Elementary School
 |
|
Parkwood School, Park Street, Kalamazoo,
1940, photographed by Mamie L. Austin. |
|
Kalamazoo Public Library photo P-774 |
Building Chronology
| 1920 |
|
Voters approved construction of a new
elementary school on South Westnedge hill [Kalamazoo
Gazette, 3 July 1920] |
| 1920 |
|
Board of Education chose Billingham and Cobb to be the architects for the new school and the DeRight Brothers to construct it. [Board of
Education Minutes, 1920-1921] |
| 1921 |
|
Parkwood Elementary School opened in
October 1921 with a
capacity for 300 students.
[Kalamazoo Gazette, 27 August 1922] |
| 1930 |
|
Board of Education approved plans for
addition to Parkwood Elementary submitted by
Billingham and
Cobb. [Board of Education Minutes, 1930-1931] |
| 1931 |
|
New two-story addition opened for use on 6
April
1931. Contained combined auditorium and
gymnasium, Kindergarten room, three grade
rooms, offices, clinic and teachers’ lounge.
[Kalamazoo Gazette, 4 April 1931] |
| 1938 |
|
Announcement made of a building to be
built next to Parkwood Elementary School for special
education students. Funding received from Grace Bray
Upjohn and other local donors in addition to a
Public Works Administration grant. Albert Kahn
from Detroit was the architect. [Kalamazoo Gazette,
3 May 1938] |
| 1938 |
|
Pearson Construction awarded contract for
the construction of the new school. [Kalamazoo Gazette,
13 July 1938] |
| 1939 |
|
Harold Upjohn School opened to the public.
It
contained special facilities and equipment for the
education and treatment of children with
orthopedic, speech, vision and hearing problems
and children "of low vitality" (that is, malnourished)
[Kalamazoo Gazette, 8 September 1939] |
| 1948 |
|
Board of Education accepted gift from the Kalamazoo Shrine Club for a breezeway which
connected the Harold Upjohn School with the Parkwood Elementary School. Breezeway included
an elevator. [Board of Education Minutes, 1947-1948] |
| 1948 |
|
Board of Education accepted bid from M. C. J.
Billingham, Inc. for the construction of the
breezeway. [Board of Education Minutes, 1947-1948] |
| 1955 |
|
Board of Education accepted the plans from
M. C. J. Billingham on 5 May 1955 for a one-story addition
to Parkwood on the north side of the structure.
[Board of Education Minutes, 1954-1955] |
| 1955 |
|
Board of Education awarded the contract for
the construction of the addition to Parkwood
Elementary to Ray Stevens Company. [Board of
Education Minutes, 1955-1956] |
| 1956 |
|
M. C. J. Billingham
reported to the Board of
Education that the addition to Parkwood
Elementary was completed. [Board of Education Minutes, 1955-1956] |
| 2001 |
|
A number of small projects would
begin at Parkwood-Upjohn Elementary in April 2002
including a new connecting structure between the
second floors of the Parkwood and Upjohn
buildings, a new library, new computer room and
an expanded auditorium/gymnasium. [Kalamazoo
Gazette, 28 September 2001] |
 |
|
Upjohn School, Kalamazoo 1940,
probably
photographed by Mamie L. Austin. |
|
Kalamazoo Public Library photo P-998 |
|
For further information, we suggest
these sources:
|
| Copies of the supporting
documents for this chronology can be found in the Local History
Room Subject File: Kalamazoo Public Schools - Parkwood-Upjohn
School. |
Compiled by Lynn Houghton, Kalamazoo Public
Library staff, February 2008. Page launched April 2008.
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