Fine Public Buildings-Elegant Business Blocks-Hotels, Opera Houses, Club Houses, etc., A City of Neat and Taste

Grand Rapids is distinguished for the number and elegance of its representative buildings, both public and private. This applies alike to their architecture and material. The brick manufactured and used here are the handsomest in color and texture to be found anywhere on this continent, and are surpassed by none for durability, strength and resistance to atmospheric influences. The crumbling and scaling that are in frequently observed elsewhere, and that so soon give an unsightly appearance to the bases and tops of walls, are here unknown, while the absorption of moisture and adherence of dust and grime, that rapidly spoil the colors of wall surfaces in other cities, are scarcely perceptible in Grand Rapids brick, which retain their newness of appearance for many years. Stone of the best quality and appearance is easily obtained, and it is hardly necessary to remark upon the excellence and variety of wood and woodwork for which this city is widely famed. Combined with these excellencies is the great advantage of comparative cheapness of material and skilled labor.

Among the schools, the Turner street, Straight street, Division street and Madison avenue buildings are handsome structures. None of these exceed two stories in height, so that children do not have to climb many stairs. The grounds about the school buildings are unusually large and handsome.

Among the churches, the Park Congregational, St. Mark’s Episcopal, St. James Catholic, Fountain Street Baptist, St. Andrew’s Catholic, Westminster Presbyterian, Second Baptist, Church of Christ and the Lutheran would do credit to any city in the land, and there are a number of others that are handsome. Within the coming year several new church edifices are expected to be constructed of a cost and elegance that will still farther illustrate the progress, wealth, taste and Christian character of the city.

There are eight fine brick engine houses belonging to the fire department, of which No. 4 is a representative building.

Of the club houses, the Peninsular, costing $50,000, is a handsome and convenient structure. The Owashtanong has two club houses, one in the city, costing $11,000, being apartments in one of the finest blocks in the city, and its boat house on Reed’s lake, costing $6,000. Both are notably fine. The Ladies’ Literary club has a handsome building, valued at $15,000, whose façade is unique and elegant in architectural design.

The Union Benevolent association home is a handsome structure, costing $40,000. St. Mark’s new home, nearly completed on the corner of Bridge and Bostwick streets, will be a $50,000 building on a $11,500 site, and is being pushed as rapidly as possible. It will be a fine addition to the architecture of the city.

The Little Sisters of the Poor home for the aged, on South Lafayette street, near Cherry, of which the present structure constitutes only one wing, is another notable building. When completed it will have cost about $125,000. The Catholic orphan asylum on Carrier street, will be a plain but handsome building, costing $100,000.

The Michigan Soldiers’ home is a magnificent structure, built by the state, and situated a little north of the city near the east shore of the river, on a handsome site. It is constructed of brick and red sandstone, and has a front of 250 feet with a depth of 120. The central apex is eighty two feet high, the tower 136 feet, the two wings forty-eight feet each. The dormitory is sixty feet north of the main building, and cost $12,000; the hospital 140 feet north, costing $20,000; the morgue and vegetable cellar in the rear, costing $12,000. It contains about 600 inmates-dependant veteran soldiers who are cared for by the state. The buildings are warmed by steam, but hot air is being put in, with the Rutan sanitary system of heating and ventilation. North Park Street railway runs through the grounds and two steamboats ply to the city in the summer months. It is lighted by electricity.

Board of managers: Col. Samuel Wells, Grand Rapids; Gen. R. A. Alger, Detroit; Col. B. F. Graves, Adrian; Dr. Lyman W. Bliss, Saginaw; Gov. Luce, ex-officio; Gen. Byron R. Pierce, cammandant; Maj. J. W. Long, adjutant; Dr. R. Humphrey Stevens, acting surgeon.

The Masonic home, on the south shore of Reed’s lake, now under construction, is to be another building of large size and fine architectural appearance. When completed, set in the beautiful grounds that are planned, it will be one of the handsomest and best buildings in Michigan, and a credit to the taste of the state, as well as to the liberality of the order.

The new Hibernian hall, on Ottawa street, of the Ancient Order of Hibernians is a handsome structure and a credit to the taste and liberality of the association. It is the finest building in the state belonging to that powerful and long established order, and cost about $15,000.

Among the public buildings of the city, in which the people take a reasonable pride are the city hall, costing $310,000; the post office and United States government building, costing $250,000; and a county court house to cost $200,000, to be completed during the coming year. The city hall built of cut stone, is considered by architects and artists to be the most elegant looking structure of its kind in the state, while it is conveniently arranged and handsomely finished and furnished. It presents three fine facades, the main one, on Lyon street, being most striking for artistic outline and handsome finish. The United States building is massive and plain in its exterior.

Among the business blocks that are of notable appearance are: Houseman’s building, on Monroe street, and Lyon, Ottawa and Pearl streets; Ledyard blocks, Monroe and Ottawa streets; Fuller block (the Hermitage), corner of Bridge and Canal, Widdicomb building, corner of Monroe and Waterloo streets; Hawkins’ block, South Ionia street; the Leonard buildings, Louis street; Barnhart block, Ionia street; Blodgett blocks, Ottawa and Ionia street; new Kendall block, Monroe street; Livingston block, South Division and Fulton streets; Weirich block, West Bridge street; McMullen block, South Division street; Wonderly block, foot on Monroe street; F. Loettgert’s building. Ottawa street; Weston, Board of Trade building, Canal street; the Eagle building, Lyon street; Winegar building, South Division street; Gunn Hardware Co’s building, South Ionia street; Strahan block, West Fulton street; Court block, Lyon street; Heath building, West Bridge street; Miller block, West Bridge street; Comstock Building, Canal street; Aldrich-Godfrey-White building, Monroe street; Cappon & Bertach Leather Co.’s building, Canal street; Hartman’s hall and Shepard building, corner of Fountain and Ionia streets; Raniville block, Pearl street; L. J. Rindge & Co.’s building, Pearl street; Rood’s building, Pearl street; Pierce building, corner of Canal and Pearl streets; Foster, Stevens & Co.’s building, Monroe street; R. C. Luce’s buildings, Monroe street; Enos Putman building, Pearl street; Sears Cracker Co.’s building, Kent street; the Gilbert building, Monroe street; Mills building, Canal street, and many others.

Among the factories are many large and imposing buildings. Conspicuous are the furniture factories of the Berkey & Gay Co., the Nelson & Matter Co., the Phoenix Co., the McCord & Bradfield Co.’s new factory, the Widdicomb Co., the Worden Co., the New England Co., the Kent Co., the Grand Rapids Chair Co., Sligh Co., Oriel Cabinet Co. and Bissell Carpet Sweeper Co. The Berkey & Gay Co.’s and the Nelson & Matter Co.’s factories are each seven stories in height, of brick. Other notable factories are those of the Wallin Leather Co., the Belknap Wagon and Sleigh Co., Voigt Milling Co.’s mills, Valley City mills, Metz’s tannery, Harrison wagon works, etc.

Among the handsome hotel structures are the Morton house, Monroe street; Sweet’s hotel, Canal street.; Eagle, Waterloo street; Bridge Street house, East Bridge street; Clarendon, Canal and Bridge streets; and Michigan house, Ottawa street.

Grand Rapids is well provided with opera houses and amusement halls, some of them superior in size and equipments, and all creditable. Powers’ opera house, Pearl street, capacity 1,800, is the oldest. Redmond’s Grand opera house is at 121 Canal street, capacity 1,300; and Smith’s opera house is on the corner of Waterloo and Louis streets, capacity 1,000. Hartman’s hall, capacity 4,000, is on the corner of Ionia and Fountain streets. These are regular theatrical and operatic houses. There are also numerous other halls, lecture rooms, etc., in the city, besides the Wonderland theater, on Canal street. Redmond’s opera house occupies part of the site of the first regular theatrical building constructed in Grand Rapids, which will be well remembered by the old settlers from the illustration we give. The preliminary organization of a company has been formed with a design of constructing the finest opera house in the state during the coming year on the south east corner of Ionia and Fountain streets.

Grand Rapids is widely reputed as a city of homes, and its private residences rank high for neatness, beauty and elegance, while many of them show all the superiority that wealth, good taste and architectural culture can achieve. The illustrations of no city in the state can surpass ours in this respect. But still more notable are the humbler homes of the thousands of working people, which are also remarkable for their degree. There is no city in the United States that, in proportion to population, can show better, or more attractive, or more numerous homes of this class than Grand Rapids. All classes of dwellings, as we have remarked elsewhere, are remarkable for being surrounded with generally neatly kept and tasteful grounds, adding greatly to the attractive appearance of the buildings.