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DHistory
History · Kentwood

Kentwood dates to 1967

More historic than 7% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Most of Kentwood was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1914 on, and the census since 1970.

1967founded
0on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Kentwood’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Kentwood began

When was Kentwood founded?

1967

Kentwood dates its founding to 1967 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1970.

First census: 20,310 in 19702020 census: 54,30459 years

How historic is Kentwood?

D

More historic than 7% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1870.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Kentwood’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kentwood is more historic than 7% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kentwood’s overall grade.
Founding era1967, from Wikidata: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19402.3% of homes (±0.8) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%C−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical MI town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 7%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)#700 of 701

Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Kentwood’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1967.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Kentwood’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Kentwood, and 6 old place names are still on the map.On the map since 19143 editions of the USGS map, 1914 to 1972. Watch Kentwood change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Kentwood’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Kentwood’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewEkhs: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Bowen Station
1870–1883
East Paris
1875–1914
Crosby
1883–1917
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Brentwood Mobile VillageBrookside Village Mobile Home ParkEast ParisParis Estates Mobile Home ParkPinebrook Village Mobile Home ParkWindmill Pointe Mobile Home Park
Gone or out of use
Bowen StationlocaleCrosby Post Officepost officeEast Paris Post Officepost office
1cemetery inside Kentwood
Pine Hill

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

On the map

Kentwood on the map, 1914 to 1972

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kentwood. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Kentwood on the 1914 USGS mapKentwood on the 1967 USGS mapKentwood on the 1972 USGS map1914Grand Rapids sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Kentwood.

The story

How Kentwood came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Kentwood.

Read it all →

The city was incorporated in 1967 from what remained of Paris Township to prevent further annexation of land from the adjacent cities of Grand Rapids and Wyoming. The city is located in Kent County, which was named after jurist James Kent.

ChaptersKentwood Mine

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Kentwood, 1870 to 1972

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1870Post officeThe Bowen Station post office opens
  3. 1875Post officeThe East Paris post office opens
  4. 1883Post officeThe Bowen Station post office closes
  5. 1883Post officeThe Crosby post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1914Post officeThe East Paris post office closes
  8. 1914On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1917Post officeThe Crosby post office closes
  10. 1930Born hereRobert VanderLaan is born here
  11. 1967
    FoundingKentwood is established
  12. 1972Born hereBrian Hyde is born here
By decade

Kentwood, decade by decade

Date unknown2 to date
EkhsDate?EkhsKentwood, MI locationDate?Kentwood, MI location
Today15 recent
O'Reilly Auto Parts2022O'Reilly Auto PartsGeese on a bridge at East Paris Nature Park2021Geese on a bridge at East Paris Nature ParkSt. Mary Magdalen-Kentwood2020St. Mary Magdalen-KentwoodVeteran's Memorial Park2019Veteran's Memorial ParkKellogg Woods Park2019Kellogg Woods ParkHome Acres Park2019Home Acres ParkBailey House-Kentwood2014Bailey House-KentwoodJIFFI STOP-32007JIFFI STOP-3JIFFI STOP-12007JIFFI STOP-1JIFFI STOP -22007JIFFI STOP -2JIFFI STOP - In Use2007JIFFI STOP - In UseEkhs22006Ekhs2East Kentwood High School, freshman campus (2006)2006East Kentwood High School, freshman campus (2006)MIMap-doton-Kentwood2005MIMap-doton-KentwoodM-6, Kalamazoo Ave Interchange cropped2004M-6, Kalamazoo Ave Interchange cropped
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Ekhs
Retake this viewEkhs

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Kentwood’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Kentwood, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00019802000202054,304

Grew from 20,310 people in 1970 to 54,304 in 2020.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Kentwood’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Kentwood

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
B
Brian HydeAmerican distance runner · b. 1972
Robert VanderLaanAmerican politician · b. 1930
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Grand Rapids47 historic placesA+Cascade Township2 historic placesCWyomingIts storyCForest Hills2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGaines TownshipIts storyC−Grand Rapids TownshipIts storyC+Ada Township1 historic placeB−

Questions about Kentwood’s history

What year was Kentwood founded?

In 1967, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Kentwood’s post office opened in 1870, and the census of 1970 counted 20,310 people here.

How does Kentwood rank for history?

Kentwood is more historic than 7% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Kentwood?

2% of Kentwood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1983.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (17), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.