KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – An African-American builder whose business constructed many historically significant buildings in Kalamazoo during the late 19th and early 20th century will be be honored Friday with the unveiling of a bust at the Kalamazoo Public Library’s downtown branch.
Albert White was born in Canton, Indiana, the son of freed slaves, but moved to Kalamazoo when he was 16. After a masonry apprenticeship that lasted for seven years, followed by two years of working as a journeyman, White was 25-years-old when he started his own construction contracting business.
Over the next 30 years he would be involved in many important projects, including building the third Kalamazoo Central High School, as well as additions to the Kalamazoo Paper Mill, Plainwell High School, and the first Borgess Hospital on Portage Street. He also built the Illinois Envelope Company, the Hawthorne Mill, Riverview Paper Mills, part of Bryant Paper Mill, part of Nazareth College, Villa St. Anthony’s Home, and supervised the masonry work in the construction of the Administration Building (East Hall) which was the first building of the original campus of what is now Western Michigan University. It was built in 1905 and still stands.
A newly created bust of White,, who passed away in 1930, will be unveiled at Kalamazoo Public Library’s Van Deusen Room Friday at 4:00 p.m.
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