School, Garden Homes, since 1927
William E. Higginbotham Elementary School
Photographed standing in 1927
- Opened
- 1927
- Style
- Mediterranean Revival
- Standing
- 99 years
William E. Higginbotham Elementary School has stood on Chippewa Ave. in Garden Homes since 1927, 99 years and counting. Who built it, what makes it special and how to see it for yourself.
What is there now
Standing
We checked building permits, sales, listings and the city's blight and demolition files on October 24, 2026. Nothing new at this address in the last two years.
The story
In 1927, during the boom years when the auto industry turned Detroit into one of the fastest growing cities in America, William E. Higginbotham Elementary School opened in Garden Homes.
It was built in the Mediterranean Revival style, and it still reads that way from the sidewalk.
It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
Go see it at 8730 Chippewa Ave. Photos never get the scale right.
The William E. Higginbotham Elementary School (or simply the Higginbotham School) is a former school located at 8730 Chippewa Avenue in Detroit.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
Timeline
- 1927 Built Mediterranean Revival
- 2022 Listed on the National Register December 9, 2022
- 2026 Today 99 years and still standing
Where it is
8730 Chippewa Ave.
More from Detroit in the 1920s
-
Broderick Tower
Structure, built 1927, Beaux Arts, by Louis Kamper
Photo: St8fan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Cadillac Tower
Structure, built 1927, Late Gothic Revival, by Bonnah & Chaffee
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Belcrest Apartments
Building, built 1926, Neo-Romanesque, by Charles N. Agree
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Ambassador Bridge
Structure, built 1929, by Jonathan Jones
Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Buhl Building
Skyscraper, built 1925, Neo-Romanesque, by Wirt C. Rowland
Photo: I, Mikerussell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Chateau Frontenac
Building, built 1925, Mediterranean, by J. Will Wilson, demolished 1999
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Around the block
It is in Garden Homes. See the neighborhood's homes, pros and story.
- Higginbotham School School, by N.C. Sorensen 210 ft
-
Birwood Wall
Structure, built 1941
Photo: John Vachon, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
0.4 mi
-
Louis G. Redstone Residential Historic District
Historic district, built 1940, International Style
Photo: National Park Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
0.9 mi
- Baker’s Keyboard Lounge Building, built 1934, Art Moderne, by Philip J. Funke 0.9 mi
Photo credits
Every photo on this page is used under its license, named here with its author and a link to the original.
- William Higginbotham School, 1927 Photo: Detroit Free Press, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.