In 1873 Nathan Robins built the prominent three-story Robins Hall on Main Street that also bore his name. The first floor was used for business purposes, including the post office that was located here from 1877 to 1885. The second floor served a variety of functions at times as a community room, a theater, a ballroom, and as the public
Blame Vitruvius. In his treatise De Architectura around 27 BCE, the three elements critical to architecture were utilitas (function), firmitas (stability), and venustas (beauty). While so easy to articulate, in practice this harmony in buildings and places was and is so hard to achieve. Fast forward to Colonial America. Many prototypes for buildings and plans for cities hearkened back to
By Isaac D. Kremer To purchase: Means, Mary. Main Street’s Comeback: And How it Can Come Back Again. HammonWood Press. 2020. The story of the revival of historic downtowns across the US is inextricably tied to Mary Means. In her role as Field Director for the National Trust for Historic Preservation covering the vast Midwest region of 10 states, she
John Noble Pierson (1855-1930) was an accomplished terra cotta modeler and architect. He attended the Cooper Institute, the Boston school of Art and the Boston School of Sculpture. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston was founded in 1870 and initially located on the top floor of the Boston Athenaeum. In 1876 the museum moved into a Gothic Revival building
Lemuel Moody constructed the Observatory to improve communications between seafaring vessels and merchants on land. His signal tower was completed in 1807. A signal system identified vessels sailing into the harbor so merchants could prepare. Ships would hoist a flag when sailing into the harbor. Captain Moody would use a powerful achromatic refracting telescope to spot vessels and their flags
The Red Mill, built circa 1810, over the years processed wool, grist, talc, plaster, and graphite. River water power also later generated electricity. A limestone quarry here was mined from the 1800s up until 1963. The Red Mill today is one of the indisputable historic and scenic sites in this area, though the Town of Clinton has much to offer
T. J .Collins designed the Marquis Building on Beverley Street with a corner turret, bay windows, and gable-roofed bays. Together these give this commercial building a commanding presence at the intersection that it rests upon. The T. J .Collins designed Switzer Building with triple arches on the 2nd floor based on larger Venetian palazzos with a diamond pattern of terra
We only had a short time to visit so focused our walking and looking in the area around Van Andel Arena. This provided a surprisingly lively subject, even if it was a little top heavy with beer-related establishments. Grand Rapids Brewing Company HopCat J. Gardella’s Tavern Tavern on the Green Liked the touch of sign painting here. Grand Woods Mural
The BOB – which stands for “Big Old Building” – is a go to social and entertainment venue in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have creatively repurposed the space with dining, indoor and outdoor entertainment, and the new 20 Monroe Live space for up to 2580 people. The outdoor beer garden is more open than others we’ve seen and feels
This open-air canopy provides a covered space for markets and community events to occur. Loved to see a playful public art element near the market. The murals were simple but effective filling the wall and bringing “a little bit of happy” to those who pass by. Loved this cinder block and beam bench. What a clever idea to provide seating