Woodward Elementary School

In 1880, the original “Woodward Elementary” was built on this site but was situated more East, facing Woodward Avenue. By the late 1920's, local architectural firm Billingham & Cobb was given the task of constructing a new building that would replace the original structure, this time facing Stuart Avenue & North Street.

 

This company designed a total of 8 school buildings for Kalamazoo Public Schools, but the style chosen for Woodward Elementary differed greatly from the style the company generally used. This classic Georgian-Colonial Revival, completed in 1930, has a Central Portico decorated with six steel Corinthian columns 26 feet high, and a second portico on the east side, both with fanlight windows. The central clock tower is also adorned with intricate ornamentation. In 2022, the Stuart Historic Neighborhood Association funded a repair project for the clock, which had been stuck at “6:35” for many years.

 

Just recently, in Summer 2025, the school underwent extensive restoration when its entire roof was replaced, and historic moldings were replicated, restored and repainted. Woodward Elementary continues to promote the education and well-being of all ages in our community, and plays a critical role in the future of the Stuart Neighborhood.