The first school in Cadillac was organized in 1872. As the settlement grew, the size and number of school buildings also grew. In the 1880s, the school district began building elementary schools in the neighborhoods to accommodate the growing population. These were first designated by the ward number of the neighborhood; in 1885, the Fourth Ward School was constructed at this site on Granite Street. The building was soon renamed the Cooley School, after jurist Thomas M. Cooley, who served as chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court for 20 years.[3]
The neighborhood surrounding the Cooley School continued to grow, and the school itself was expanded at least three times due to overcrowding. However, by 1919, the school was sill too small to meet the needs of the residents, and the construction of a replacement building was discussed. Due to lack of funding, the project was delayed, but in late 1922 bonds were issued to fund a new Junior High and a replacement for the Cooley School. In 1923, the C.M. St. John Company of Saginaw was contracted to construct a new Cooley School, based on designs from architect Judson N. Churchill of Lansing, Michigan. The new school opened for students on January 14, 1924.[3]
The school served elementary students in the neighborhood. In 1964, an annex to the school, designed by Trend Associates of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was constructed nearby. The buildings were used as a neighborhood school until declining enrollment caused it to be closed in 2010.[4] The Cooley Alternative School was housed in the main school building until 2017, and the Annex was used for community programs.[3] In 2023, plans were begun for rehabilitation of the school.[4] As of 2026, Pinnicle Construction was working to transform the building into apartments.[2]
