Whittier School opened in 1897 at 1619 W. Fredonia. The design of the original building was similar to Blaine Sumner School and Longfellow School. The first principal of Whittier was Rose Pfeiffer. By 1905, the school was overcrowded, but an addition was not approved until 1915. The addition was constructed on the west end of the original building. In 1958, the original portion of the school was demolished, and another addition replaced that portion of the building. Whittier was used by Bradley University during the 1960's for their Teacher Education program. Observation rooms with two way mirrors allowed teacher candidates to witness the activities of a busy classroom.
Whittier Primary School currently houses 363 students in Kindergarten through Grade 4. Whittier is located very near the Bradley University campus.