Norwood was settled in 1866 when Orvis Wood, Lucius Pearl, and Orwin Adams built a dock and sawmill on the shore of Lake Michigan. The town thrived as a lumber shipping center with sawmills, a company store, and blacksmith shops. In 1884 the Norwood Township Board approved plans for the construction of the township hall, and the building has served as the center of government activity to the present day.