Old Central High School (Kalamazoo, Michigan)

Kalamazoo's Old Central High School, also known as the Community Education Center, is an educational building located at 714 South Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1] As of 2019, the building is home to the adult education programs of the Kalamazoo Public Schools.[2] It is also the home of the Chenery Auditorium, one of the performance venues for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.[3][4]

Old Central High School
Location in Michigan
Location in United States
Location714 S. Westnedge Ave.,
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Coordinates42°17′05″N 85°35′26″W
Area2.5 acres (1.0 ha)
Built1912 (1912)
ArchitectRockwell A. LeRoy (1923 addition)
Architectural styleTudor Revival
Part ofVine Area Historic District (ID83000875)
MPSKalamazoo MRA
NRHP reference No.83000866[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 16, 1983

History

Kalamazoo originally had four schools in four separate districts. The city's first Union School, uniting these districts, was constructed on this site[5] in 1857–58. That building was razed and replaced with a high school in 1880–81. The second school was destroyed by fire in 1887, with a replacements constructed the next year. By 1909, the high school was overcrowded, and in 1911 voters approved a bond to construct a new gymnasium and classroom buildings for the high school. The addition was completed in 1912, but by 1920 overcrowding was again a problem. In 1922, voters approved a proposal to demolish the 1898 high school building and replace it with a larger structure. Local architect Rockwell A. LeRoy designed a classroom building and auditorium that would connect to the 1912 gymnasium. The new construction was competed in 1923.[6]

The high school again became overcrowded in the mid-1960s. In 1968, the school board approved a plan to build a new high school, which was completed in 1972. The old Central High School building was renamed the Community Education Center, and has been used for a variety of Kalamazoo Public School programs and offices including the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center.[6]

Description

Old Central High School is a four-story Tudor Revival structure with an E-shaped facade. It is faced with red brick and has limestone trim. The building is a block long and consists of two sections: the 1912 south wing containing a manual training and gymnasium building, and the 1923-24 main, front section.[5]

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References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "Adult Education". Kalamazoo Public Schools. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  3. "Howard Chenery Auditorium". Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  4. "History". Chenery Auditorium. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  5. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Old Central High School, National Park Service
  6. "Kalamazoo Central High School". Kalamazoo Public Library. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
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