Editing Birmingham, Michigan (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:2007 Dream Cruise photo.jpg|thumb|[[Woodward Dream Cruise]]]]
Settlers founded the First United Methodist Church in 1821 and conducted services in Elijah Willets' tavern. Its current structure was built in 1839; it is now the oldest church building in the city.<ref>[http://www.fumcbirmingham.org/info/history/index.htm First United Methodist Church History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004215446/http://www.fumcbirmingham.org/info/history/index.htm |date=October 4, 2011 }}</ref><ref>Tutag, Nola Huse, and Lucy Hamilton. ''Discovering Stained Glass in Detroit'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=SiUsbJk-1KMC&dq=birmingham+michigan+%22the+first+church%22&pg=RA2-PA61]</ref>  Other houses of worship represent many religions.

George H. Mitchell and Almeron Whitehead were two of a small group of bachelors who had formed a club called The Eccentrics; they published a newspaper of the same name, issuing the first edition on May 2, 1878. At a price of 2 cents, ''The Eccentric'' provided a "live home paper, replete with all the news of the day", with considerable emphasis on the "local items of importance occurring in Birmingham and immediate vicinity". By the turn of the 20th century, ''The Eccentric'' ran advertisements for Detroit stores and theaters, as well as offers of property and houses suitable for the "commuter". In the 1920s, the slogan of ''The Eccentric'' was "For a Bigger and Better Birmingham". Today, the ''Birmingham Eccentric'' newspaper continues its role as reporter of the community's local news.<ref>[http://www.ci.birmingham.mi.us/home/index.asp?page=868 City of Birmingham, MI: The Birmingham Eccentric<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030023554/http://www.ci.birmingham.mi.us/home/index.asp?page=868 |date=October 30, 2007 }}</ref>

In 1923, a group of friends formed The Village Players of Birmingham, a private theatre club. Originally, performances were given in the community house. In 1928 the group commissioned their own theater just outside the downtown area. Today this all-volunteer group is open to everyone and puts on five shows each year.

Birmingham's Community House, opened in 1923, is located in downtown Birmingham. It is a non-sectarian, non-partisan venue used for meetings, banquets, weddings and other celebrations.<ref>{{Cite web|last=hostmaster|date=2016-12-29|title=The Community House|url=https://www.michigan.org/property/community-house|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Michigan|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Community House|url=https://www.communityhouse.com/|access-date=2020-12-19|website=The Community House|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2008, the Birmingham Little League won the nine- to ten-year-old Little League state championship. The team beat Western Little League 12–5 to earn the title.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hometownlife.com/story/sports/2016/07/26/birmingham-little-league-teams-win-district-titles/87557992/ |title=Birmingham Little League teams win 3 district titles |author=Budner, Marty |website=HometownLife.com |access-date=September 12, 2018}}</ref>

===Parks and recreation===
The city has more than twenty parks, with many amenities, including tennis and pickleball courts, baseball diamonds, playgrounds, golf courses, sledding hills, nature trails, picnic areas, and deep woods. Shain Park, the city's main [[common land|commons]], is the site of the Village Fair, art shows, summer music concerts and numerous community events. At the center stands ''[[Freedom of the Human Spirit]]'' sculpted by [[Marshall Fredericks]].

===Education===
The [[Birmingham City School District]] administers several nationally accredited schools, including [[Seaholm High School]] and [[Groves High School (Michigan)|Groves High School]]. [[Roeper School (Michigan)|Roeper School]] has a campus on Adams Road.

The Holy Name School is a co-educational [[parochial school]] founded by the [[Roman Catholic]] Holy Name Church. It educates children grades pre-K to 8. The private school was established in 1928, along with a [[convent]] for IHM nuns. (That has since closed.) The church and school continue to operate in conjunction today.

Pierce Elementary School in Birmingham provides classes for elementary school students of the [[French School of Detroit]].<ref>"[http://www.frenchschoolofdetroit.org/curriculum/elementary Elementary]." French School of Detroit. Retrieved on June 20, 2015.</ref>

The [[Japanese School of Detroit]] (JSD), a [[Hoshuko|supplementary school for Japanese citizens]], first began holding classes in Birmingham in 1987, when its operation at Seaholm High started. It began holding classes at Covington School in 1989,<ref name=OldHist>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20010502235540/http://www.jsd.org/history.html JSD History]" (). Japanese School of Detroit. May 2, 2001. Retrieved on April 16, 2015. "昭和48年  6月  デトロイト日本語補習授業校開設、私立クランブルック・ブルックサイド校借用。 （1973）" and "（1981）  10月  児童・生徒増のため、私立ケンジントン・アカデミー校に移転。" and "（1987）   4月  児童・生徒増のため、ケンジントン校に加え、公立シーホーム校との2校体制に拡大。" and "4月  児童生徒増のため、ケンジントン校・シーホーム校に加え、公立コビントン校との 3校体制に拡大。 " and "（1999）  事務局移転（インターナショナル・アカデミー校→旧オークランド・シュタイナー校） "</ref> and it also had classes at West Maple Elementary.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20120322210412/http://www.jsd.org/08-eng/handbook-08.pdf HANDBOOK For Teachers of Japanese Students]." () Japanese School of Detroit. p. 4 (4/12). Retrieved on June 19, 2013. "4. Now, about 1,000 students are studying at two different school buildings. a. West Maple Elementary School Kindergarten ~ 3rd grades b. Seaholm High School 4th ~ 12th grades"</ref> At one point its school offices were in Birmingham.<ref>"[https://archive.today/20021004193142/http://www.j-school.net/ringo/ りんごネットへようこそ！]" (). [[Japanese School of Detroit]]. October 4, 2002. Retrieved on April 7, 2015. "連絡先 Japanese School of Detroit 2436 W.Lincoln, Suite E101 Birmingham, MI 48009, U.S.A."</ref> In 2010 the school announced it was moving its operations to [[Novi, Michigan|Novi]].<ref name="JapanSchoorel">"[http://www.cityofnovi.org/government/PressReleases/2010/101216JapaneseSchoolOfDetroit.asp Japanese School of Detroit to relocate to Novi]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20131203035507/http://www.cityofnovi.org/government/PressReleases/2010/101216JapaneseSchoolOfDetroit.asp Archive], [http://www.cityofnovi.org/government/PressReleases/2010/PDF/101216JapaneseSchoolOfDetroit.pdf PDF version], [https://web.archive.org/web/20131203031252/http://www.cityofnovi.org/government/PressReleases/2010/PDF/101216JapaneseSchoolOfDetroit.pdf Archive])<!--Original URL http://www.novi.k12.mi.us/WebPages/JSDRingoKai.pdf--> [[Novi Community School District]]. December 16, 2010. Retrieved on April 17, 2011.</ref>

===Public library===
[[File:Baldwin Birmingham Public Library.jpg|alt=Baldwin Birmingham Public Library|border|left|frameless|Baldwin Birmingham Public Library]]
The Baldwin Public Library serves the city of Birmingham and nearby communities of [[Beverly Hills, Michigan|Beverly Hills]], [[Bingham Farms, Michigan|Bingham Farms]], and [[Bloomfield Hills, Michigan|Bloomfield Hills]]. The original building first opened to the public on December 19, 1927. In October 1959, an extension for the Youth Department was added to the east side of the building. In 1983, another addition opened, changing the entrance to Merrill Street. There are over 120,000 books in the library, along with CDs, DVDs, periodicals, educational toys, databases and free [[Wi-Fi]].

The library is named after Martha Baldwin, a civic leader and lifelong resident of Birmingham who was instrumental in establishing the first library. She also helped get improvements such as sidewalks laid for the business section, street lights, seats placed at interurban transit stops, flowers and trees planted, and trash baskets placed at the street corners.