Prospect Hill/Davis Field

User Note: View entry while standing at the vista overlooking the city of Kalamazoo and looking down at Davis Field, which sits at the base of the hill.

Before the creation of the Western State Normal School, the land on which the campus would develop was used for a much different purpose. The future site of Michigan’s fourth normal school was originally utilized as the Prospect Hill Vineyards, which gave it the name Prospect Hill. In March of 1904, the land was officially deeded over to the State Board of Education and work began on the Administration Building in May of that same year. As new buildings were being constructed, new elements were added to make transportation up the hill easier for students and faculty, including wooden steps, tennis courts, and an incline railroad. Throughout the various transitions that Western has undergone since 1903, the land atop Prospect Hill has changed to accommodate its needs.

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Prior to being chosen for the Western State Normal School location, the land atop Prospect Hill was acquired in the 1880s by George Holt and was marked by grapevines, pear trees, as well as various sledding courses and footpaths. However, the land later fell into disrepair and became an eyesore for the city of Kalamazoo.

In 1903, the bill was passed for the foundation of Michigan’s fourth normal school, and Prospect Hill was later chosen out of over 28 cities for the school’s new home. Construction on Western’s first building, the Administration Building, began in 1904 under the direction of E.W. Arnold, along with wooden stairs and an incline railroad on the northeastern side of the hill. In 1905, clay tennis courts were also added to the base of the hill, known as Davis Field, to provide students with additional spaces for extracurricular activities.

Accompanying the growth of the campus, the hilltop soon became known as the Normal Hill. The transformations of the land atop the hill continued throughout the 1900s and into the early 2000s. In the summer of 1990, the Davis Field tennis courts were removed to create a practice field, which is still used today by Kalamazoo residents.

In the early 2010s, Western decided to renovate the original East Campus and drew inspiration from the first designs that dated back to 1903. These plans from the Olmsted Brothers included a vista overlooking the city and garden paths, which were implemented in the construction of the new Heritage Hall Alumni Center that now sits atop the hill.

Massie, Larry B. Brown and Golden Memories: Western Michigan University's First Century. Kalamazoo, MI: Western Michigan University, 2003.

Knauss, James O. The First Fifty Years: A History of Western Michigan College of Education, 1903-1953. Kalamazoo, MI: Western Michigan College of Education, 1953.

Stine, Leo C. Western - A Twentieth Century University. Kalamazoo, MI: New Issues Press WMU, 1980.

“Guided Tour Binder.” Kalamazoo: Heritage Hall Alumni Center, n.d.