In 1883, Reverend James E. Bowen and Francis M. Gill built and opened the Bowen Settlement School, which became the first school in the northeast section of Polk County. In the early 20th century, population growth created the need for a new school, and a two-room wood-frame building was established. By August 1921, the Florida Land Boom and rising population trends required a more substantial building, and a new yellow brick grammar school was constructed and completed in 1922. Architectural plans by James M. McMichael were approved, and Streater Brothers of Lakeland was selected to construct the new Davenport School, completed in 1927. The school became the first high school in Davenport to offer grades one through twelve and served the educational needs of both the Davenport and Loughman communities. By 1931, it was reconfigured to accommodate grades one through nine and thereafter was known as the Davenport Grammar School. It continued to serve junior high students until the 1963 school year. In 1964, it became Davenport Elementary School. In 2000, Davenport Elementary School became the Davenport School of the Arts and served the Davenport community as a school of choice until it outgrew the facility. In 2011, it relocated to a new building constructed near the original site of the Bowen Settlement School. The 1927 school building was then restored with extensive additions using Classical Revival architectural features, and Davenport Elementary School welcomed students in the newly restored building in August 2020.