The Robinson House
1414 Low Road, Kalamazoo

This home might be thought of as an Art Deco/Prairie Style collaboration. Architects Stone and Wagner designed the structure to come out of the hillside; the exterior is a rustic brick and the most noticeable decorative elements are natural brown tones. But the curved porch roof, the large rounded corner of brick glass, and the irregular windows with their shiny aluminum frames recall elements found in more standard Art Deco designs.

Its original owners were just as eclectic as their home. Dr. Robinson was Professor of Rural Life and Education at Western Michigan University from 1927 to 1960; he traveled the world and was active an a variety of civic and social groups. His wife Cornelia Robinson was the third woman elected to Kalamazoo’s City Commission, a chairperson of the State Board of Education for two years, and a member of a range of clubs and organizations. The Robinsons gave a large trust including the home on Low Road to the university in 1975.