About Our School

History

The Holbrook School was named after the Dewitt C. Holbrook family who lived on one of the nearby farms.  Dewitt C. Holbrook studied law in Detroit and held a position of county clerk.  He was a notable partner of a law firm from 1847 to 1878. Holbrook also served in the Blackhawk War and earned the rank of Major.

Holbrook School is the oldest school in Hamtramck.  A plot of land was set aside by the Hamtramck Planning Commission on June 26, 1891 and by 1896 a frame school house was in operation.  In 1897 six classrooms were added to make room for the 350 pupils attending the school and this brick building was one of the finest in the area.  During this period of time, Hamtramck was a township which covered all of Wayne County, east of Orleans and Woodward Avenues and covered 22,733 acres of land.

In 1901, authorities from the State of Michigan recognized Hamtramck as a village with a population of 1,000.  From 1901 to 1913 the attendance of Holbrook School steadily increased.  In 1913 an addition extended the building from Alice Street to Grayling Street.  A fire in the 1920's destroyed the building's third floor; this floor was never replaced. The school was remodeled in 1929 and was the first school to experiment with the use of color in interior decorating.

The Holbrook building has changed little since being remodeled in 1929. Improvements in the building's heating system and lighting have occurred, but for the most part, the building remains the same today as it did in 1929.

Hamtramck Public School District Mission & Vision

Mission

We engage, elevate, and empower our students.

Vision

Our students succeed and transform the future.