"It can be truly said of Cranbrook's campus that it is a place where history lives. Indeed, visitors to the Cranbrook community can see more than a century of history and tradition in its buildings and landscapes, all as vibrant today as they were any time in the past. But unique within the community is a resource that is available to few schools in the nation: a resource that preserves the history of Cranbrook and connects it to the present in a remarkable way. It is the Cranbrook Archives." Clay Matthews, Director of Communications, Cranbrook Schools.
Cranbrook Archives is the primary research center for the documentation and study of Cranbrook's remarkable history. Though not deemed an Archives until 1966, it originated in 1942 with the
suggestions of George Booth's secretary, Helen McIlroy. Now, as the community's official archival repository, the department is responsible for collecting, preserving, and making available community and divisional records of permanent value, the papers of members of the Booth, Scripps and Saarinen families, the records of Christ Church Cranbrook and other ancillary organizations, and the personal papers of faculty, staff, alumni and other individuals who have been associated with the community since 1904.
To ensure the steady growth of the collection, the department is responsible for administering records management systems throughout Cranbrook. In its broader role, the Archives also serves to foster a greater public awareness of the community's history and cultural heritage.
HoursThe Archives is open for research Monday-Friday 9am-4pm. Please call ahead to schedule an appointment with the appropriate staff member.
**NOTE: The City of Bloomfield Hills is repairing the bridges and roads around the Archives - the only entrance is now from Woodward to Brady Lane. We also have limited access to some of our collections that are stored in other areas on campus. Please BE SURE to contact us before planning a visit to the Archives.
You can download directions to the Archives
here
