Walking Tour #1

1. Starting point – Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites corner of West Michigan Avenue and Rose Street HEAD NORTH ON ROSE STREET

2. National City Bank (Lawrence Chapin Building) NW corner of Rose and Water Streets – Originally home of Kalamazoo Ironworks. Completed in 1872. By 1874 the company employed 60 to 100 men making steam engines, circle and mullay sawmills, plows, cultivators, scrapers, horsepower machines, wood-sawing machinery, iron fences and ornamental ironwork. The iron used was pig iron which was mined along the banks of the Kalamazoo River. The company stayed in business through the 1890’s. Since that time it has been a rescue mission, hub of the interurban, a skating rink and was a furniture store up until 1983 when First of America Bank/National City Bank renovated the building into office space. Architectural style: Second Empire.

3. Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N Rose Street – Originally this was a commercial Italianate building which housed the Wheeler-Blaney Company for several decades. In 1937, local theater mogul Peter Schram announced that his Mayfair Theater (later renamed the Uptown ) would go into the building. After a 20-year life, the Uptown closed. In 1967, the Schram estate sold the building which was then leased for a number of years. In 1991, the City’s Downtown Development Authority took title and razed the building for the Arcadia Creek Redevelopment Project. The museum was completed in 1996.

4. Arcadia Creek runs E to W from Westnedge Avenue to the Arcadia Creek Festival Place – Over a

century ago, Kalamazoo buried Arcadia Creek underground. By the 1980s, the streets flooded often because underground pipes backed up as a result of the city’s growth. With the 1986 major renovation of the downtown area, the Creek was resurrected which brought revitalization to the downtown as well as alleviating the flooding problems. The Arcadia Creek Festival Place holds numerous festivals throughout the year.

5. Parrish Associates (Salvation Army) 244 N Rose – “Erected for God and Humanity 1926” are the words

on the cornerstone of the original headquarters for the Salvation Army. It served the community until 1991. It was designed by local architect Ernest Batterson and constructed by local contractor Lather & Sons. It became known as the Citidel which reflected the organization’s military emphasis. In 1992, renovations took place to convert this original two story building, including religious sanctuary, into a three story office building. The discovery of a full-height window at the end of the sanctuary was advantageous to adding light to the overall space. The offices are organized around the perimeter of the interior, creating a “town-square” common meeting space in the center for the use of the various tenants. Architectural style: English Tudor Revival

6. Rose Street Market (Masonic Temple) 303 N Rose Street – This distinctive landmark was built in 1913

as the local Masonic Temple. The building was designed by Detroit architect F. H. Spier and built by Henry Vanderhorst. Included in the building were three auditoriums, office space and ground level shops. The building declined in the 1970s when it was sold by the Masons. It stood vacant and threatened by demolition. In 1988 it was given a new lease on life as the Rose Street Market, which now houses office space and restaurant/deli/banquet hall.

RIGHT ON KALAMAZOO AVENUE

7. Transportation Center (Michigan Central Railroad Station) 459 N Burdick Street – The first train through Kalamazoo was a Michigan Central in 1846. A few years later, passengers and freight could move on as far west as Chicago. Eventually, four rail lines converged at the edge of downtown but the Michigan Central played the major role. In 1887, the Michigan Central Railroad Station was built of red brick and stone. It offered Kalamazoo the fashionable “Romanesque” architecture that Henry Hobson Richardson had made popular in the East. Heavy arches and turrets gave it something of the massiveness of a medieval castle. By 1906 fifty trains a day came into Kalamazoo. By WWI, thirty-five passenger trains stopped at the station platform. Fortunately, the depot was never razed but renovated and added canopied bus ports to reflect the original style. Architectural style: Richardsonian Romanesque

8. Rickman House (Rickman Hotel) 345 N Burdick Street - This finely detailed white brick and stone

structure was one of the leading hotels for years since the location was just a few steps from the Michigan Central Depot. When the railroad fortunes declined, so did those of the Rickman Hotel. Operations ceased in the 1960s. It is now a half-way house. Architetural style: Classical Revival

9. Sarkozy Bakery 335 and 339 North Burdick Street – Built in 1892, coincidentally, by baker Nicholas

Lutten. Over the years the building has housed a bakery, a drug store and a pool hall. The second floor contained apartments. Since 1978, Sarkozy Bakery has been a Kalamazoo institution. The second floor now contains an office, employee lounge and storage.

10. The Shakespeare Company (Speareflex Building #10) 241 East Kalamazoo Avenue – Dating from

1941, this building was the office of the Shakespeare Company which manufactured fishing tackle, automotive parts, and products used in WWII. Originally called the Shakespeare Company for the family who started the business, it was renamed Speareflex to reflect their most popular item. Its manufacturing building was located just to the east. In the 1970’s, Speareflex relocated to South Carolina and other subsidiary locations. Shakespeare’s Pub opened in July of 2003. Architectural style: Art Deco

11. Emporium Antiques 313 E Kalamazoo – See Little Brothers

12. Woodruff Building (National Storage Building) on corner of Kalamazoo Avenue at 309 E Water – In 1912,

the National Storage Company building was erected. Constructed of concrete with brick curtain walls, it provided 30,000 feet of space. Within the next decade, an addition was constructed to mimic the original’s details on the west side, roughly doubling the square footage. Starting with a horse-drawn truck, National Storage offered garment and fur storage; climate-controlled piano storage; vault rental for personal belongings and household goods; packing and crating shipments; and moving services. Over the next 25 years, the company added sales of household furniture and appliances as a “discount” house. It bought railroad carloads of goods at a larger discount than those offered to traditional main street retailers. By 1938, its advertisements claimed it was “The Big Warehouse Furniture Store” and offered living, dining and bedroom suites, washing machines, ranges, carpets and rugs. National Storage moved its business to another part of town and sold the building in the mid-1970s. The building was bought in 1978 and parts are still used for storage, but it also houses offices and a commercial kitchen. In 1999, the building’s masonry was cleaned, repaired and reappointed contributing to the area’s renaissance. TURN RIGHT ON WATER STREET

13. Little Brothers East Kalamazoo and Water Street – The Little Family has a long agriculture industry history in Kalamazoo, beginning with the feed grain business in 1904 founded by George Little. In 1912, brother George joined the business to form ‘Little Brothers.’ Growth continued and in the 1920s, George’s sons, Alvin and George R. joined the business. Over the next decades, in addition to buying and re-selling grain, Little Brothers prepared custom-mixed livestock and poultry feeds and bred poultry. The Emporium Antiques building was the straw storage and flour and feed warehouse. In 1965, the business was sold to Farm Bureau. This building, along with the Emporium, are the only buildings left of the Little Brothers complex – the city razed its 1864 grain elevator and numerous other buildings in 1974. It is now under renovation.

14. Arcus Foundation (Grand Rapids and Indiana Line Station) 402 E Michigan Avenue – Initially a weigh

station in a plan to run rail lines from Ft. Wayne through Grand Rapids to Mackinac and then to connect across the Upper Peninsula with the Northern Pacific. In 1870, tracks stretched from Ft. Wayne to Grand Rapids and a little north. The Grand Rapids and Indiana line was soon to receive its passengers and freight in the stately Italian Revival station which now stands at the corner of Pitcher and East Michigan. This line ran until after WWI when it was leased to the Pennsylvania Line. It was a popular restaurant and night club in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 2005, the structure was renovated into office space which includes a state-of-the-art, closed-loop geothermal heat pump system which provides heating and cooling for the building. This historic structure is complemented by a modern glass, steel and aluminum addition. The renovation also incorporates exterior pedestrian gathering plaza space. Architectural style: Italian Revival

RIGHT ON EAST MICHIGAN AVENUE

15. Columbia Plaza (The Columbia Hotel) 350 E Michigan Avenue – Built in the 1890s and bought by German Adam Ehrmann in the early 1900s and expanded. Ehrmann would give his hotel the flavor of his home country and offered 150 guestrooms, a dining room, and a bar named the Beer Stube. He staffed his hotel restaurants by German immigrants and the facilities were top notch. This was Kalamazoo’s 3rd largest hotel. Today it houses offices. Architectural style: Georgian

16. Bimbo’s Pizza (The Arlington Hotel/Columbia Annex)338 E Michigan Avenue – Hotelier Adam

Ehrmann connected the neighboring Columbia Hotel with the Arlington being renamed the Columbia Annex. Architectural style: Romanesque

17. U. S. Post Office / Monaco Bay (Rosenbaum Block) 310 E Michigan – When Samuel Rosenbaum’s Kalamazoo Pant Company outgrew its quarters in the A. J. Doyle building, he had this six story steel and concrete structure erected and moved into the Block in 1907. It was one of the first buildings in Kalamazoo to exceed four stories. Adjacent to the six-story Rosenbaum Block is the U. S. Post Office which was also built for Rosenbaum’s Kalamazoo Pant Company. The two structures were connected for the company but now house both the post office and Monaco Bay with office space and condos on the upper stories.

18. Town Wigs (Hugh McHugh Building) 276 E Michigan – This three-story structure is one of the more

unique structures on East Michigan. It was built by Hugh J. McHugh, an Irish stone mason. Completed in 1885, McHugh rented the building to J. H. Hobart Babcock. Babcock operated a pharmacy on the ground floor with offices and living space on the upper levels. It would remain the site of various pharmacies for nearly a century. Architectural style: Italianate with Queen Anne accents

19. Coney Island (Hall Building) 266 E Michigan – Built in 1896, the Hall Building is home to Kalamazoo’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, Coney Island. In 1906, the upper floors were converted to a hotel of about 44 rooms. Glass panels found in the attic suggest the name Hotel Reed. The 1939 city directory identifies the address as Hotel Windsor.

20. Uncle Ben’s Uniform Company 262-264 E Michigan – This building housed a harness shop in 1885. In later years it housed retail, a grocery, a used furniture outlet, and sporting goods store. Until 1950, the second and third floors served as offices and residences. Architectural style: Italianate

21. Symmetry (The Jannasch-Shortt Musical Institute) 254 E Michigan – This red brick gothic inspired structure was built in 1878 by Charles Jannasch for his daughter Anna. Anna Jannasch was a skilled musician and music teacher at one of the village ward schools and she established a musical institute in the building. She would teach music in the building from 1878 to 1909. Please note the reminder of its past in the musically-inspired frieze. Architectural style: Italianate

22. Vertigris (The Button Jannasch Building) 254 E Michigan – This is the oldest surviving building on East Michigan Avenue. It was built in 1869 by Charles Jannasch. He was a prominent German businessman who came to Kalamazoo from Germany in 1850. Architectural style: Italianate

23. Aries London Grill (Fischer’s Meat Market) 254 E Michigan – In the 1880s, this building housed Fischer’s Meat Market. The 1939 City Directory lists the Lee Moy Laundry and the Celery City Tailoring Company. Architectural style: Italianate

24. Olde Peninsula (The Humphrey Block) intersection of E Michigan and Portage – In 1869, Nicholas Baumann erected a fine three-story Italianate building. It originally housed the Peninsular restaurant and over its long life, the building provided space for Parson’s Business College, the Starkey and Gilbert Furniture Company, Samuel Folz’ clothing store, the Kalamazoo Stove Company and many others. Upholsterers, jewelers, tailors and dentists occupied its second and third floors. The building was remodeled multiple times – the last coming in mid-1990s to create the Olde Peninsula Brewpub on the main floor with offices and apartments on the second and third floors. Architectural style: Originally, Italianate

25. Main Street East Building (Doyle Building) 251 E Michigan – early home of the Kalamazoo Pant

Company. It also had apartments on the upper floors. Today it is professional office space.

26. Haymarket Building (Edwards & Chamberlain Building) 161 E Michigan – At the convergence of Michigan Avenue and Portage Street is the Haymarket Building, so named for its proximity to the farmers’ hay market of the mid-1800s. The building was completed in 1908 to house the hardware store of Edwards & Chamberlain. Its unique angled front façade was designed to accommodate the bend on Michigan Avenue. By the 1950s, it was home to Sears & Roebuck and since the 1980’s, it has functioned as an office building, retail and restaurant space.

27. Fifth Third Bank (American National Bank) 136 E Michigan – This is the tallest commercial building in Kalamazoo. It was designed by Chicago architects Weary and Alford and completed in 1930. Chicago immigrant Otto Stauffenberg hand painted the lobby mural. The curved entry leads to the soaring perception of the building, departing from classical monolithic architecture. The building has consistently housed a variety of professional offices. Modern amenities in the original design include the 8th-10th floors being equipped with air, gas and specialized electrical service for the medical profession. Architectural style: Art Deco

28. Kalamazoo Building (corner of Burdick and Michigan) – Kalamazoo’s first skyscraper was built in 1907

and was originally the Kalamazoo National Bank Building since the bank was the primary tenant. The upper floors housed a variety of small businesses. Kalamazoo National Bank moved out in 1929 and thereafter has been called the Kalamazoo Building. It has housed such businesses as a cigar store; law, dental, and doctor offices; and a photography studio. There is also a privately-owned penthouse. Its architectural style has been described as utilitarian due to its boxy design and rows of equal-sized windows.

29. Kalamazoo County Court House 222 W Michigan Avenue – Built in 1937, this is the 3rd Kalamazoo County Court House. It now houses the 9th Circuit Court, 8th District Court, and the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Originally, the top floor housed the county jail. The exterior is Mankato stone. The interior features marble hallways, brass, and metal ornamentation. Surrounding the entrances are reliefs which depict Law, Justice, and Vigilance which were wrought by Corrado Joseph Parducci. The architect was M. C. J. Billingham. Architectural style: Art Deco.

Walking Tour #2

1. Starting point – Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites, corner of West Michigan Avenue and Rose Street HEAD EAST ON WEST MICHIGAN AVENUE (SOUTH SIDE OF STREET)

2. Kalamazoo County Court House 222 W Michigan Avenue – Built in 1937, this is the 3rd Kalamazoo County Court House. It now houses the 9th Circuit Court, 8th District Court, and the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Originally, the top floor housed the county jail. The exterior is Mankato stone. The interior features marble hallways, brass, and metal ornamentation. Surrounding the entrances are reliefs which depict Law, Justice, and Vigilance which were wrought by Corrado Joseph Parducci. The architect was M. C. J. Billingham. Architectural style: Art Deco.

3. First Baptist Church 315 W Michigan Avenue – This structure was built in 1856 and is the oldest church in the county. The First Baptist Church was founded in 1836 and built on one of the four lots which Titus Bronson (white founder of Kalamazoo) had designated for churches of the town. For many years the clock built into the bell tower was known as THE “town clock” because it could be seen from many outlying areas (and many town residents did not own a time piece). At one time a tall steeple was atop the clock tower; however, after the tornado of 1980, it was considered too unsafe to remain.

HEAD SOUTH ON CHURCH STREET TO BRONSON PARK

4. Bronson Park has been a New England-style commons in the center of Kalamazoo since the 1850s.

The park has provided a meeting place for entertainment and public gatherings, a setting for monuments significant to the community, and a shady spot for downtown residents, workers, and visitors. In 1856, then-attorney Abraham Lincoln, spoke at a rally for presidential candidate John Fremont. In later years, Stephen A. Douglas, William Jennings Bryan, Theodore Roosevelt, and both John and Robert Kennedy spoke to assembled crowds in the park. An interesting spot at the southwest side of the park is “The Mound.” It is believed to be a remnant of the mound-building Hopewell Indians who lived in the area centuries ago. The mound was first excavated in 1832 but revealed nothing. In the early 1800s, local businessman Alexander J. Sheldon restored the mound which had been damaged over the years. During this process, he buried a time capsule containing coins, information about the time, and issues of the Kalamazoo Telegraph, which he published. In the early 1950s, the mound was re-excavated. Recovered was that time capsule and the outlines of a grave (presumably left by the Hopewell Indians) were discovered. A new time capsule replaced the original with the intention it remain until at least 2054. Fountains have decorated the park since 1879. “The Fountain of the Pioneers” has stood at the center of the eastern half of Bronson Park since 1940. Designed by Alfonso Iannelli, it symbolizes the removal of the Native Americans from the local area by the federal government. The sculpture has been criticized for its theme but remains a stark reminder of local history. The reflecting pool, part of the original Ianelli design, was adorned with bronze sculptures of Kalamazoo children to commemorate the United States bicentennial in 1976. Local artist, Kirk Newman, used the biblical verse “When justice and mercy prevail, children may safely play” as the inspiration for his sculptures.

The largest addition to the park is the band shell which was built in 1999. Many outdoor concerts are held in the park, as well as picnics, festivals, and art shows. Thousands gather in the park for the annual tree lighting ceremony and to ring in the new year at New Year’s Fest.

5. Kalamazoo Civic Theatre 329 S Park Street (corner of Park and South) – Dr. William E Upjohn financed the building of this theatre in 1932. The exterior has the look of a circus tent, emphasized by the stone entry archways that give the impression of tent flap openings. The 500 seat theater houses lead crystal chandeliers imported from Yugoslavia and decorative limestone detailing. Legend has it that Dr. Upjohn’s daughter was determined to head to Broadway in New York City to follow her acting dreams. To keep her close to home, Dr. Upjohn built the Civic. The architect was Weary & Alford / TPTA. Architectural style: Art Deco.

HEAD EAST ON SOUTH STREET

6. Kalamazoo City Hall 241 W South Street – This building was built in 1931 in the midst of the Great Depression. The concrete exterior is accentuated by deeply recessed elongated windows. The stylized relief frieze by Studio of Architectural Sculpture depicts 12 local historical events. The interior is showcased by the lighting fixtures, elevator, clock, drinking fountain, mailboxes and travertine and Italian marble in the lobby. Artist Otto Stauffenberg painted the murals in the commission chambers and municipal courtroom. Architectural style: Art Deco.

7. Park Club 219 W South Street – For 20 years, the Park Club (a private dining club) sat on the corner of West South Street and Rose in the previous home of Nathaniel Balch. In the early 1920s, the club needed a larger and more up-to-date facility. The members decided to buy the William Lawrence home (co-founder of the Lawrence Chapin Iron Works Company) which was located adjacent to the club. The Balch home was demolished to make way for a lawn and a side “motor entrance.” This structure was built in 1889 and was one of the most imposing homes in town. Mr. Lawrence probably spent $30,000 to $35,000 on its construction. In 1955, the lawn gave way to the much needed parking lot. Architectural style: Queen Anne.

8. Kalamazoo Public Library 315 S Rose Street – The original library structure was built in 1955. The 1998

renovation of the building preserved the original building’s physical form by sheathing the building with a variety of materials which exhibit different colors and textures. Included is reflective glass with purple mullions, black granite towers topped with iridescent beacons, limestone cladding the original cylindrical form, and a copper-shingled dome. As the sun travels through the day, colored light is cast about the interior rotunda by a glass and holographic film sculpture created by Michael Hayden. A unique canopy structure was created over the reading area illuminated by floating halogen lights which reveal sparkles of color reflecting from the sculpture above. In addition, the second level of the library appears to float on large columns above a recessed ground floor. The Kalamazoo Public Library was named Library of the Year in 2002.

9. Miller Canfield Building 277 S Rose Street – This multi-story structure was completed December 31, 2007 with a budget of $25,000,000. This 153,617 square foot building includes a parking structure (two levels below grade, two levels above grade) with four levels of office space. Prominent building features include the glass atrium at the face of the building and use of limestone and granite to disguise the above grade parking levels.

STAY EAST ON SOUTH STREET TO BURDICK STREET (KALAMAZOO MALL) THEN HEAD NORTH

10. Kalamazoo Mall (Burdick street between Eleanor Street to the north to Lovell Street to the south) – In 1959, the City of Kalamazoo created the first downtown pedestrian mall by blocking off traffic from three blocks of the main commercial area on Burdick Street. It was hoped that the mall would revitalize the downtown area to compete with the movement of retail businesses to suburban malls. Lawns, fountains, and play areas were added to enhance the “pedestrian mall” experience. The mall featured all the important department and clothing stores of its era but the trend in commerce was away from department stores and men’s clothing stores. The mall now features many specialty shops, cafes, and restaurants (and an indoor rock climbing venue). In 2000, the mall was reopened to limited automobile traffic.

11. Kalamazoo Building (corner of Burdick and Michigan) – Kalamazoo’s first skyscraper was built in 1907

and was originally the Kalamazoo National Bank Building since the bank was the primary tenant. The upper floors housed a variety of small businesses. Kalamazoo National Bank moved out in 1929 and thereafter has been called the Kalamazoo Building. It has housed such businesses as a cigar store; law, dental, and doctor offices; and a photography studio. There is also a privately-owned penthouse. Its architectural style has been described as utilitarian due to its boxy design and rows of equal-sized windows.

Walking Tour #3

1. Starting point – Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites corner of West Michigan Avenue and Rose Street

HEAD EAST ON MICHIGAN AVENUE

2. Kalamazoo Building (corner of Burdick and Michigan) – Kalamazoo’s first skyscraper was built

in 1907 and was originally the Kalamazoo National Bank Building since the bank was the primary tenant. The upper floors housed a variety of small businesses. Kalamazoo National Bank moved out in 1929 and thereafter has been called the Kalamazoo Building. It has housed such businesses as a cigar store; law, dental, and doctor offices; and a photography studio. There is also a privately-owned penthouse. Its architectural style has been described as utilitarian due to its boxy design and rows of equal-sized windows.

3. Kalamazoo Valley Community College Center for New Media (formerly W. S. Dewing

Building) corner of Michigan Avenue and Burdick Street – Built in 1928, the Dewing Building was an unusual structure which has a very narrow frontage along Michigan Avenue but fills the entire block along N. Burdick from Michigan Avenue to Water Street. The block replaced a series of rambling structures knows as “Asbestos Row.” Many of these old wooden buildings dated back to Kalamazoo’s pioneer days and were considered eyesores.

In 2004, the Dewing Building was purchased for the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Center for New Media and although much of the interior was renovated, the unique façade stayed essentially in its original form. All the programs at Center for New Media are designed to prepare students for the work within many creative industries like advertising, printing, publishing, web design, web development, telecommunications, computer support, sales, marketing, and multimedia production.

4. The Orpheum Building (formerly home of the Orpheum Theater) 119 E Michigan Avenue

(adjacent west of Subway) – Michigan Avenue was once lined with blocks of Italianate storefronts which only a handful survive. Among the survivors is the former home of the Orpheum Theater. The City Directors list a movie house at this address from around 1910 to the late 1940s. The theater is long gone but the frame which housed it still remains.

5. Subway Shop building 123 E Michigan Avenue – Another Italianate building to survive now

houses the Subway Shop. The projecting 2nd floor bay window was added after the building’s completion in the late 1860s. According to the 1939 City Directory, this building was home to the Samuel Becker Shoe Store and the John Kling Tailor Shop.

6. Fifth Third Bank (American National Bank) 136 E Michigan – This is the tallest commercial

building in Kalamazoo. It was designed by Chicago architects Weary and Alford and completed in 1930. Chicago immigrant Otto Stauffenberg hand painted the lobby mural. The curved entry leads to the soaring perception of the building, departing from classical monolithic architecture. The building has consistently housed a variety of professional offices. Modern amenities in the original design include the 8th-10th floors being equipped with air, gas and specialized electrical service for the medical profession. Architectural style: Art Deco

7. Haymarket Building (Edwards & Chamberlain Building) 161 E Michigan – At the convergence

of Michigan Avenue and Portage Street is the Haymarket Building, so named for its proximity to the farmers’ hay market of the mid-1800s. The building was completed in 1908 to house the hardware store of Edwards & Chamberlain. Its unique angled front façade was designed to accommodate the bend on Michigan Avenue. By the 1950s, it was home to Sears & Roebuck and since the 1980’s, it has functioned as an office building with retail and restaurant space.

8. Olde Peninsula (The Humphrey Block) intersection of E Michigan and Portage – In 1869,

Nicholas Baumann erected a fine three-story Italianate building. It originally housed the Peninsular restaurant and over its long life, the building provided space for Parson’s Business College, the Starkey and Gilbert Furniture Company, Samuel Folz’ clothing store, the Kalamazoo Stove Company and many others. Upholsterers, jewelers, tailors and dentists occupied its second and third floors. The building was remodeled multiple times – the last coming in mid-1990s to create the Olde Peninsula Brewpub on the main floor with offices and apartments on the second and third floors. Architectural style: Originally, Italianate

9. Interurban Depot 167 Portage Street – Built in 1906 by the Michigan United Railways, this was

Kalamazoo’s first interurban station. The curve off the street into the station was so sharp that inbound or westbound cars had to run past the station up to Michigan Avenue, way in the street, return down Portage Street and back up into the covered passenger area. The freight loading facilities were at the rear of the building. This location remained a station until 1914 when operations were transferred to a new station on Water Street. Today it has be renovated into condominiums.

10. Rave 13 Movie Theatre (intersection of South and Portage Streets) – State of the art 14-

screen stadium theater with digital projection system opened in November of 2006. The 70,000 square foot theater has 14 auditoriums ranging in size from 465 to 105 seats. The parking ramp is six stories which holds 506 parking spaces. The center also houses 22 apartments and 23,000 square feet of retail space.

11. Upjohn Building 24 at 301 John Street - Built in 1934, Building 24 was the world headquarters

for the Upjohn Company through 1961. It then was executive offices for Upjohn, Pharmacia, and lastly Pfizer until 2005. Bronson Healthcare Group now owns the facility and spent $6.6 million to renovate the 48,000 square foot, four-level building. Many original walls, doors, flooring and accents remain but the infrastructure, windows and internal workings were made energy efficient and were totally updated to complement the original design work of Detroit architect Albert Kahn.

12. Kalamazoo Gazette Building (southeast corner of Lovell and Burdick Streets) 401 S Burdick –

The Kalamazoo Gazette is Kalamazoo’s oldest business and the second oldest newspaper in the state. The original portion of the building was erected in 1925 and is made of Indiana limestone. The building was expanded in 2003 with an addition to the rear of the building which houses the MAN Roland press and a GPS tower clock.

13. Epic Center (northeast corner of Lovell and Burdick Streets) – Shortly after the mall was again

opened to vehicular traffic (1997), one of the last two remaining department stores,

Jacobson’s, closed. This building was built in 1959 just as the pedestrian mall was finished. The building replaced the old Central Fire Station and was remodeled and expanded in 1974. Soon after the 1997 closing of Jacobson’s, the empty store was converted to the Epic Center. The building houses various art-related businesses such as the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, the offices of the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the Black Arts Center, as well as the Nature Connection and the Epic Bistro restaurant.

14. State Theater 406 S Burdick Street – Built in 1927, the State Theater was the largest (1,569

seats) and grandest theater in Kalamazoo. The Chicago architect John Eberson developed the ‘atmospheric’ style of the State Theater. The auditorium resembles a Spanish courtyard full of statues and false facades. The ceiling is painted a dark blue and is enhanced with a cloud machine and glittering stars. The original pipe organ is still in working order. The State opened on July 14, 1927 to run films and host vaudeville shows and was run by the Butterfield Theaters organization. It was sold in 1987 and is currently an entertainment venue.

15. Kalamazoo Public Library 315 S Rose Street – The original library structure on this site was

built in 1955. The 1998 renovation preserved the original building’s physical form by sheathing the building with a variety of materials which exhibit different colors and textures. Included is reflective glass with purple mullions, black granite towers topped with iridescent beacons, limestone cladding the original cylindrical form, and a copper-shingled dome. As the sun travels through the day, colored light is cast about the interior rotunda by a glass and holographic film sculpture created by Michael Hayden. A unique canopy structure was created over the reading area illuminated by floating halogen lights which reveal sparkles of color reflecting from the sculpture above. In addition, the second level of the library appears to float on large columns above a recessed ground floor. The Kalamazoo Public Library was named Library of the Year in 2002.

16. Miller Canfield Building 227 S Rose Street – This multi-story structure was completed

December 31, 2007 with a budget of $25,000,000. This 153,617 square foot building includes a parking structure (two levels below grade, two levels above grade) with four levels of office space. Prominent building features include the glass atrium at the face of the building and use of limestone and granite to disguise the above grade parking levels.

17. Park Club 219 W South Street – For 20 years, the Park Club (a private dining club) sat on the

corner of West South Street and Rose Street in the previous home of Nathaniel Balch. In the early 1920s, the club needed a large and more up-to-date facility. The members decided to buy the William Lawrence home (co-founder of the Lawrence Chapin Iron Works Company) which was located adjacent to the club. The Balch home was demolished to make way for a lawn and a side “motor entrance.” This structure was built in 1889 and was one of the most imposing homes in town. Mr. Lawrence probably spent $30,000 to $35,000 on its construction. In 1955, the lawn gave way to the much needed parking lot. Architectural style: Queen Anne.

18. Kalamazoo City Hall 241 W South Street – This building was built in 1931 in the midst of the

Great Depression. The concrete exterior is accentuated by deeply recessed elongated windows. The stylized relief frieze by Studio of Architectural Sculpture depicts 12 local historical events. The interior is showcased by the lighting fixtures, elevator, clock, drinking fountain, mailboxes and travertine and Italian marble in the lobby. Artist Otto Stauffenberg

painted the murals in the commission chambers and municipal courtroom. Architectural style: Art Deco

19. Kalamazoo Civic Theatre 329 S Park Street (corner of Park and South) – Dr. William E Upjohn

financed the building of this theatre in 1932. The exterior has the look of a circus tent, emphasized by the stone entry archways that give the impression of tent flap openings. The 500 seat theater houses lead crystal chandeliers imported from Yugoslavia and decorative limestone detailing. Legend has it that Dr. Upjohn’s daughter was determined to head to Broadway in New York City to follow her acting dreams. To keep her close to home, Dr. Upjohn built the Civic. The architect was Weary & Alford / TPTA. Architectural style: Art Deco.

20. Bronson Park has been a New England-style commons in the center of Kalamazoo since the

1850s. The park has provided a meeting place for entertainment and public gatherings, a setting for monuments significant to the community and a shady spot for downtown residents, workers, and visitors.

In 1856, then-attorney Abraham Lincoln, spoke at a rally for presidential candidate John Fremont. In later years, Stephen A. Douglas, William Jennings Bryan, Theodore Roosevelt, and both John and Robert Kennedy spoke to assembled crowds in the park.

An interesting spot at the southwest side of the park is “The Mound.” It is believed to be a remnant of the mound-building Hopewell Indians who lived in the area centuries ago. The mound was first excavated in 1832 but revealed nothing. In the early 1800s, local businessman Alexander J. Sheldon restored the mound which had been damaged over the years. During this process, he buried a time capsule containing coins, information about the time, and issues of the Kalamazoo Telegraph, which he published. In the early 1950s, the mound was re-excavated. Recovered was that time capsule and the outlines of a grave (presumably left by the Hopewell Indians) were discovered. A new time capsule replaced the original with the intention it remain until at least 2054.

Fountains have decorated the park since 1879. “The Fountain of the Pioneers” has stood at the center of the eastern half of Bronson Park since 1940. Designed by Alfonso Iannelli, it symbolizes the removal of the Native Americans from the local area by the federal government. The sculpture has been criticized for its theme but remains a stark reminder of local history. The reflecting pool, part of the original Ianelli design, was adorned with bronze sculptures of Kalamazoo children to commemorate the United States bicentennial in 1976. Local artist, Kirk Newman, used the biblical verse “When justice and mercy prevail, children may safely play” as the inspiration for his sculptures.

The largest addition to the park is the band shell which was built in 1999. Many outdoor concerts are held in the park, as well as picnics, festivals, and art shows. Thousands gather in the park for the annual tree lighting ceremony and to ring in the New Year during New Year’s Fest.

21. Kalamazoo County Court House 222 W Michigan Avenue – Built in 1937, this is the 3rd

Kalamazoo County Court House. It now houses the 9th Circuit Court, 8th District Court, and the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Originally, the top floor housed the county jail. The

exterior is Mankato stone. The interior features marble hallways, brass, and metal ornamentation. Surrounding the entrances are reliefs which depict Law, Justice, and Vigilance which were wrought by Corrado Joseph Parducci. The architect was M. C. J. Billingham. Architectural style: Art Deco.