Step Back in Time with Historical Grand Rapids Buildings

Downtown Grand Rapids has exploded in the last decade with the grand openings of breweries, restaurants, apartments, and entertainment venues. In light of everything new in the city, Grand Rapids’ rich history is still all around us, whether we realize it or not. If you know where to look, you might be surprised by the wealth of historical, architectural beauty in the city.

If you’ve never taken note of our architectural history, here are a few buildings to take a peek at the next time you head downtown:

Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton

187 Monroe Ave NW

The origins of this downtown hotel date back to 1913, when the cornerstone of the Pantlind Hotel was laid. The Pantlind showcased English Adams architecture by New York’s Warren & Wetmore, designers of Grand Central Station and The Biltmore Hotel, and was named “One of the Ten Finest Hotels in America” by 1925. More than 50 years later, the Amway Corporation acquired the Pantlind, restoring it to its former glory and adding a sparkling new glass tower.

Today, the Amway Grand Plaza is recognized as a Historical Hotel of America and many historic touches can be seen in the Pantlind lobby, including three Austrian chandeliers, a domed ceiling boasting America’s most extensive gold leaf installation and a magnificent wooden-gilded “sunburst” that graced the ballroom of the Palazzo Moroscini, an opulent Venetian palace, for over a century and a half.

The Exhibitors  Building

220 Lyon Street NW

Adjacent to the Amway Grand Plaza, this striking old building holds the distinction of being on the National Register of Historic Places, an honor it received in 1982. It was built in the 1920s, designed in the Renaissance style, and housed the showrooms of numerous furniture companies from around the country. “One of the cool things is the polychrome terra cotta they used, which has multiple colors and is fired clay, so the colors don’t fade away,” explains Gina Bivins, president of the Grand Rapids Historical Society .

The terra cotta designs display the tools of the workers who built the furniture. “There’s a wood plane, a mallet, a T-square, and a triangle, for example,” Bivins says. To see these designs up close and personal, take the skywalk between the Amway Grand Plaza and the convention center — you’ll be almost nose-to-nose with them. “The terra cotta is beautiful, and it’s an exceptional building.” Don’t miss the little faces of lions that run around the top!

McKay Tower

146 Monroe Center St.

Long before the McKay Tower loomed, this was the site of a modest house, the first framed building in Grand Rapids, and the site of the first non-Native American wedding in Grand Rapids in 1834.

A little more than 40 years later, a two-story building called the Wonderly Building was erected on that site, and in 1914, the first four floors of the current McKay Tower were built as the Grand Rapids National Bank. More stories were added over the years until it became the 18-story skyscraper you see today, which currently houses ground-floor restaurants, luxury apartments and the breathtaking Ballroom at McKay.

“If you look at the building, you can see where it originally stopped,” says Bivins. “Standing on Pearl Street, you can see the massive, beautiful columns, and if you look beneath them, you’ll see the details of the original parts of the building. The Doric columns are fluted rather than being horizontal, and there are perpendicular flutes carved all the way to the top. Banks were built as if they were permanent, with a never-going-to-go-under feel to them, and this building certainly has that look to it.”

The Waters Building

161 Ottawa Ave NW

Occupying an entire city block in downtown Grand Rapids, The Waters Building (also known as the Waters Center), was the largest furniture exhibition space in the city, once known as America’s Furniture Capital. It was, in fact, the largest building in the world dedicated to furniture exposition, with its six floors displaying products from numerous manufacturers. The exterior features a distinctive red brick façade, a common style in the early 20^th century. Today, it is home to Homewood Suites by Hilton Hotel as well as the Sundance Grill and Bar, office spaces and modern apartments.

Flatiron Building

100 Monroe Center St NW

Constructed in 1860 by businessman Moses Vail Aldrich, who later served as Grand Rapids Mayor, the Flatiron Building features a rounded corner where Monroe Center St and Ottawa Ave NW meet. The attractive bullnose shape and stone-trimmed corner are typical of Italianate architecture, as are the elaborate roof brackets and window trims. The building’s thick masonry exterior walls were originally constructed with a timber-framed interior structure, which was replaced by steel in a 1981 renovation. The Flatiron Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ledyard Block Historic District

123-145 Ottawa Avenue and 104-124 Monroe Center St

The Flatiron is adjacent to the Ledyard Block, which encompasses seven interconnected 19^th-century commercial buildings showcasing even more extravagant Italianate architecture. Period details include wooden brackets, galvanized iron cornices and sandstone trim. This is the most intact 19th century block in Grand Rapids, and one of the only full blocks of Italianate structures in the state of Michigan. Businesses along this block include Uccello’s Ristorante, Cinco de Mayo restaurant and Periwinkle FOG gift shop.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church

134 North Division Ave.

The oldest public building in Grand Rapids, Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, was built in 1848 in the Gothic Revival style. The sanctuary you see today is significantly larger than the entire church was in 1848. The chancel, transepts, and towers were all additions built over time. It’s interesting to note the differences between the original structure and later additions. “The spires, for example, are light brick because they were added a little later. About every ten years, they built something and you can tell, because the architecture changes,” Bivins explains.

Inside the remarkable building, you’ll see walls made from limestone that was hauled by oxcart from the Grand River. On those walls, you’ll see the names of congregants who fought and died in the Civil War. As you walk through and take in the beauty all around, you can see the ever-evolving history of the city.

The limestone walls, hand-carved wood, and Gothic architecture give the interior a solemn feel. “A lot of Heritage Hill families went to church there and, when you go into the sanctuary, you can feel it,” said Bivins. “When you step into St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, you’ve stepped into history.”

Fountain Street Church

24 Fountain St NE

This massive neo-Romanesque structure was completed in 1924 following a 1917 fire that burned the original American neo-Gothic home of Fountain Street Church to the ground. The building has a rectangular shape, with an apse at the south end and a narthex at the north. The interior features intricate mosaics and stained glass windows installed in the 1920s, as well as lavishly carved stone, decorative Mercer tiles walnut paneling. Fountain Street Church started out in 1869 as a Baptist congregation but has been non-denominational since 1960. 

The Willard Building

150 Fulton St E

The Willard Building also boasts a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1930, it replaced the multi-story Burleson Sanatorium and was named for Dr. Willard Burleson. The one-story structure is notable for its unique and exquisite terra cotta work, including urns, crests, acanthus leaf designs, and – wait for it – 20 peacocks perched along the top of the building! “Once you’ve seen the peacocks, you wonder, ‘How have I not seen those before?’” says Bivins. It should come as no surprise that the Willard is alternatively known as the Peacock Building.

Other Notable Historical Buildings

Civic Center Auditorium Façade

Lyon Street, east shore of the Grand River

Also known as the Welsh Civic Auditorium, this is the only building on this block that survived the “urban renewal” era . Opened in 1933, it features beautifully carved stonework by sculptors Corrado and Rudolph Parducci, including the signs of the zodiac and the seal of Grand Rapids as well as relief sculptures by Corrado Parducci called “Fine Arts” and “Music.” Just inside, the lobby reflects the sleek, polished metal and marble of the Art Deco style. The front façade and lobby have been incorporated into DeVos Place Convention Center 

The Trust Building

40 Pearl Street NW

Completed in 1892, the Michigan Trust Building was designed by renowned architect Solon S. Berman, who also designed many Chicago landmarks. Inspired by the Romanesque buildings of Spain and France, Beman employed red sandstone, red brick, and terra cotta to create an elegant Romanesque-revival structure. At the time of its opening, the Trust Building (as it has come to be known) was the city’s tallest building, and the city’s first to be constructed solely for office space.  

Leonard Building

38 Fulton St W

This four-story building was originally constructed by Charles H. Leonard sometime between 1883 and 1884 as a wholesale location for his furnishings, crockery, carpet and stove business. Leonard was a pioneer refrigerator manufacturer who made an innovative design that improved the refrigerator's interior so it was easy to clean. The building was sold to Dykstra Wholesale Distributing in 1951, which closed in 1985. It remained vacant until San Chez Bistro opened on the ground floor in 1992.

Corner of Monroe Center St. & Ionia Ave.

Three of the four buildings at the intersection of Monroe Center Street and Ionia Avenue have interesting architectural features, including iron rosettes on one building and carved reliefs on another. One corner is home to 77 Monroe Center Street, a 12-story Art Deco structure. Look for the full-size Native American, tomahawks, and lion carved into the corner of the building. (Corrado Parducci also did these carvings, which represent the early history of Grand Rapids.)

The next time you’re downtown, look up! You might be surprised to find Corrado Parducci’s lion or a terra cotta peacock staring back at you.