61. Grand Rapids Indiana Railroad Bridge   Blossom St       1892  8 Jan 1991
The railroad tracks went right down the center of Blossom Street. Blossom Street disappeared a long time ago. The railroad tracks disappeared more recently. The right of way still exists  so Front Ave was re-routed to go under the freeway along what used to be Blossom Street. The railroad bridge is now a pedestrian bridge called the Big Blue Bridge.

52. Charles C. Comstock House  151 Boltwood St NE     1890 30 Mar 1982

36. Slater's Indian Mission   Douglas St

 and Front Ave      1909? Try 1836     27 Nov 1979
Special,  Early City
The Catholics had one too near Butterworth and Gelock. The fore-runner of  St Andrews Cathedral

72. Weirich & Oroiquis    400-404 Bridge St NW    1887>    22 Aug 2000
I didn't hang out on the West Side except for driving through on our way to visit my grandmother on her farm in Ottawa County. I remember crossing the neat old bridge on Wealthy Street going past big round gas tanks like on White Heat. I kept looking for Jimmy Cagney but he was never there. Except for the main streets, there weren't any stop signs.

31. Greenwood Cemetery       1340 Bristol Ave NW                                          1860  27 Nov 1979
Cemeteries in geographic Walker Township

American Seating Company      801 Broadway Ave NW   1888> 6 May 2003
My neighbor Mr. Koskakowsi walked up Trowbridge hill every day, then down the bluffs then crossed the river to work at American Seating. He reversed his trek to come home. Do you think he admired the view?

23. Charles W. Garfield House             200 Burton St SE    1860         28 June 1977
^{CA       CA}

24. Charles W. Garfield gravesite                    300 Burton St SE       1934         28 June 1977

37  Garfield Park Lodge             300 Burton St SE      1906   27 Nov 1979
Tax Address 250 Burton ST SE

History of Central High School, My neighborhood,  Parks

40 The Castle        455 Cherry St SE                 1886                                     19 Feb 1980
I've explored this house many times.
As a kid, I always called the German Brewery on Michigan Street The Castle cause it sure looked like one.

62. Boulevard House       951 Cherry St SE    1874   5 Nov 1991

65. Cherry Hill Historic District          Cherry St and Lake Drive    1870  7 Jun 1994

41.Coit Avenue School                                         1880                                          1 Jul 1980
My mother and I both attended this school after they installed indoor plumbing. Coit School

8. Voigt House      115 College Ave SE                      1895            10 Oct 1974
My dad used to visit Carl Voigt but wouldn't take me even though I asked, and asked, and asked, and asked. He said Mr. Voigt was crotchety, didn't like children and kept the house just as he mother did.

20. Civil War Memorial Statue  2 Division Ave N      1885       1977 June 28
Parks

St. Mark's Episcopal Church 134 Division Ave N
My parents were married in the chapel.

47. Calumet Flats Building  301 Division Ave S  1907   2 Dec 1989
I inspected this building when it was first purchased by the Housing Commission. It was very similar to but less posh than Oakwood Manor which I've also inspected. To prevent prostitutes from leaning on a nearby metal fence, they smeared a pigeon cream "Perch No More".

State Herkimer Hotel 323 Division Ave S
It used to be a hotel. Fell on hard times.

State 18. First Park Congregation Church           10 East Park Place NE         1868                  21 Oct 1975
Tax address 122 Library St NE
bought Louis Campau's Catholic Church on Monroe Ave before moving to the corner of Park Street and East Park Place.

70. Fairmount Square Historic District      Eastern and Fairmount   1870>    9 Dec 1999

State 46. James O. Fitch House       39 Fitch Pl SE 1856       1 Jul 1980
 The Fitch House was built as a hunting lodge. I knew Miss Holt when I worked at the Isabella Home. She grew up in this house.
She had a photo of her family in front of this house c. 1900 hanging on her wall.  200 Eastern Ave SE

State Calvin College                           Franklin St SE

28. Fountain Street Church      24 Fountain St NE                             1924    3 Jul 1979
Is it historic because it's not Baptist anymore? I like Immanuel Lutheran much better and I don't think it will be around much longer. 

 Federal 5. Eliphalet H. Turner House   731 Front Ave NW             1846                                                     24 April 1973

19. Veterans Memorial Park                        101 Fulton St E                       1833                  21 Oct 1975
The original Public Square Statewide Search for Subdivision Plats - Image     Parks 

Lorraine Bldg 124 Fulton St E
This was built as an apartment house but then became doctor offices with White and White Pharmacy on the first floor and Smeelink's Optical on the second. As my father worked next door in the Metz Building I hung out at the soda fountain. the store was full of nuns from Aquinas College, Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic Central High School, St. Andrews Elementary. Dressed in full habits. Always in pairs, one old, one young. They always walker, never saw one in a car.

Federal 4. Abram W. Pike House                   230 Fulton ST E                                   1845               24 April 1973
        This was the Grand Rapids Art Gallery when I was a kid. My father rented a parking space behind and walked down the street to where he worked at Hefner's Art Gallery in the Metz Building at 114 E. Fulton so you know I was dragged to this building many, many, many times.

Masonic Temple 233 Fulton St E

9. Fulton Street Cemetery   805 Fulton St E                          1838             10 Oct 1974
Cemeteries located in geographic Grand Rapids Township

76. Mathias Alten House              1593 Fulton E         1907                  19 June 2007
My father worked at Hefner's Art Gallery which sold Mr. Alten's works. I only remember the nudes.

21. John Ball Memorial Statue     John Ball Park (1300 Fulton St W)   1920       28 June 1977
Parks

32. Moses V. Aldrich Memorial      John Ball Park  1300 Fulton St W     1925        27 Nov 1979

66. Charles A. Hauser House       151 Gold Ave NW   1892           20 Nov 1996
I knew Mr. Smith who owned this house. It was in really bad shape. He worked very hard with the neighborhood association. Either John Ball Park or SWAN. I belonged to both so don't remember which anymore. He also wouldn't let me in to explore.

17. Oakhill Cemetery              603 Hall St SE                1859        21 Oct 1975
North of Hall StreetGrand Rapids Township Cemeteries
South of Hall Street originally Valley City Cemetery Paris Township Cemeteries

75. Metal Office Furniture Building    401 Hall St SW  1888>  6 May 2003
This was an old derelict building being used for Meijer's cash registers.

Federal 38 Heartside Historic District   S Division and W Fulton            1870's?   04 Dec 1979
A red-light district is pretty historic.

Federal 2. Heritage Hill                                      Heritage Hill
 

49. Third Reformed Church         1009 Hermitage  St SE    1895       3 Feb 1981

1. Norton Indian Mounds District    2200 Indian Mounds Dr SW             before 1200            24 April 1973
            I haven't visited here in decades. It was a dump.

Federal 12. Former Federal Building  148 Ionia Ave NW    1909   21 Oct 1975
Tax address: 155 Division Ave N.. Replaced an even older federal building.

44. Grand Rapids Study Clubhouse  427 James      1874 (club date or the house date?)         1 Jul 1980
formerly addressed as155 James in 1912, occupied by  Paul A Richens
Ladies Literary Society for Black Women
West Side Ladies Literary Society met in the former #3 Engine House Engine House#3, then moved to Indiana Avenue NW which building still stands although very plain.Indiana. Working Class ladies aren't worth mentioning because they're too busy working. .

Woodlawn Cemetery 2400 block Kalamazoo Ave SE
Cemeteries located in geographic Paris Township

James Gallup House 74 Lafayette Ave NE
I know this house. It was owned by two maiden women and was called the McLeod or something similar up at the SE corner of Fountain St and Lafayette Ave. I think I was inside this house and it was very formal. Italianate. I think it is in Heritage Hill. .

53. Augustus Paddock House  1033 Lake Dr SE  1896  20 Jul 1982

34. Jacob Aman Gravesite                       Aman Park on Lake Michigan Dr   1926                 27 Nov 1979
Yes the City can own property outside the City Limits. My mother loved going out to this park every spring to look for wild flowers; Ladies Slippers, Jack in the Pulpit, Trilliums.

45. Engine House #9  27 Leonard St NW  527 Leonard St NW      1890      1 Jul 1980
Engine House  #9

6. Ryerson Public Library                    111 Library St NE                 1904                                      10 Oct 1974My mother and I walked down here many, many times cutting through the grounds of old Central High School on Ransom Avenue. History of Central High SchoolI hated the children's room. It was divided by age groups and boy/girl. I HATED the girls' books: sit still, do nothing and look pretty. I LOVED the boys section which was full of action books, run, jump, skip. I was raised Dutch Reform. I was forced to sit still but not allowed to be pretty. So I hung out in the Adult Room and read Perry Mason, Horatio Hornblower and Zane Grey. Park Street was renamed Library St in 1912. West Park became Sheldon in 1920. City street name changes

54. George W. Welsh Auditorium        200 Lyon St NW 1932           28May 1985 torn down 2000?
As a student at Coit we had to walk to this building every year to watch some nature films. This building was built where the Interubancar barn was. Before that it was a water basin at the end of the east side canal. It's now been torn down replaced by a new convention center. The City government promised they wouldn't put convention business ahead of residential neighborhoods. LOL .

55. Meyer May House   450 Madison Ave SE    1909           86 Nov 18
Related to Mrs. Sophie Amberg who gave the land for Houseman Field in memory of her father Julius Houseman. History of Central High School

10. St. Andrew's Cemetery       900 Madison Ave SE  900 Madison Ave SE    1838   10 Oct 1974
Cemeteries located in geographic Paris Township  

57. Louis Campau Gravesite     St. Andrew's Cemetery               He died 1871     24 April 1990
Paris Township Cemeteries

43. Rapistan Schoolhouse                            1755 Michigan St NE         1911              1 Jul 1980
Rapistan, a conveyor-belt company,  bought this former school and used it as their office. Thanks to Rapistan for not tearing it down. As a teenager I lived near this building, the former Michigan Oak which the City annexed from School District #4Grand Rapids Township Schools

Goodspeed Bros 188 Monroe Ave NW

71. Berkey & Gay 940 Monroe Ave NW   1892      22 Aug 2000
They had three buildings, only one is left. My deaf grandfather worked for them. Lost his job the first day of the Depression when he was 49. Afterwards he repaired shoes for the WPA. Never worked a real job again. My mother grew up on welfare and as the oldest child  she was forced to study book keeping and after graduating from high school she was forced to get a bookkeeping job and support her family. She HATED bookkeeping.

42. Monroe Water Filtration Plant   1430 Monroe ave NW     1912    1 Jul 1980
This was still being used when I was a kid.

58. Hebe Fountain       3000 Monroe Ave NW                               1893         20 Nov 1990
Ogle Map Grand Rapids Township andGrand Rapids Township  Cemeteries

69. Peck Building   34-50 Monroe Ctr NW 1875    28 April 1998
My aunt Evelyn was a soda jerk at Peck's Drug Store.

68. Aldrich Block    87-99  Monroe Ctr NW            1880>            4 Nov 1997

48. Karl-Aldrich Building   98 Monroe Ct NW     1869     3 Feb 1981
Have to admit I had to look at a picture of this building before I could identify it. It's the little building between Steketee's and Union Bank.

50. Flat-Iron Building        102 Monroe Ctr NW   1860     7 Jul 1881
Have to admit this was my goal in adding this page. All I could find was a list, no pictures. I wanted to see pictures. So I created this page.

51. Flat Iron Commercial Block  112-124 Monroe Ctr NW   7 Jul 1881

14. North Ave     900 block Walnut to Cedar           1890                     21 Oct 1975
II played on this cobblestone hill  too

60. LaGrande Vitesse Sculpture       301 Ottawa Ave NW   1969                 8 Jan 1991
My idea of a rusty hunk of junk that doesn't provide shade in the summer nor protection from the wind in the winter while walking across the wide plaza which is my idea of a junky hunk of concrete.

Federal 11. Ledyard Building  145 Ottawa Ave NW   1874    10 Oct 1974
Tax address: 125 Ottawa Ave NW

25. Uhl-Hall House        512 Overbrook Lane SE      1912     28 June 1977      
Annexed after 1960 so I don't care

35. Campau Trading Post (plaque) NW corner Monroe & Pearl  1909 (the plaque not the post)     29  Nov 1979
Special Early CityVillage

State Campau Square   SE corner Monroe & Pearl
It still exists? Arcade

73 Michigan Trust Building 40 Pearl St NW                   1887>   11 Sept 2001

State 29. Edward L. Briggs House              2420 Plainfield Ave NE                     1852    3 Jul 1979
I knew Mr. Robert Briggs. He showed me through his house and showed me his childhood bedroom about the size of a modern walk-in-closet.

3. Federal St. Cecelia Music Hall                               24 Ransom Ave NE                 1894                           24 April 1973
I explored this building once maybe 40 years ago. I know I went upstairs. I don't think I was able to sneak backstage.
        When the Metz Building was torn down, the terra cotta trim was hung on the south side of St. Cecelia.

State 39.  Holmdene (Aquinas College)       1607 Robinson Rd SE              1908    19 Feb 1980
This college was next door to Ryerson Library when I was a kid.

16. Ladies Literary Club        61 Sheldon Blvd SE        1887        21 Oct 1975
Too posh for me but I explored this building once a long time ago.

27. Seventh Day Adventist Church              100 Sheldon Blvd SE      1894     28 June 1977
Tax address 107 Sheldon

15. Cathedral of St Andrew      267 Sheldon Blvd SE        1876                               21 Oct 1975
St Andrews Cathedral
Also see St. James for how the Cathedral looked before it was a Cathedral. St James

Federal 63. Sixth Street Bridge     across the Grand River     1886    29 Sept 1892
I stopped crossing this bridge when I met a Mack Truck. There wasn't room enough for both of us.

7. Calkins Law Office   235 State St SE moved from Ionia Ave NW            1836                         10 Oct 1974
When I was a kid there were many homes that looked just like this building on Ionia Ave NW. They are all gone now but this one.

13. Trowbridge Street  200 block Lafayette to Clancy     1890     21 Oct 1975
I walked up this cobblestone hill twice a day to Coit school. My neighborhood
 

59. Gerald Ford Boyhood Home   649 Union Ave SE                1910       20 Nov 1999

56. Villa Maria    1315 Walker Ave NW but really 1305 Walker Ave NW   87 Jun 16
Used to be a home for Wayward Girls now a home for Wayward Grannies. This is where I live. I'm definitely wayward. Villa Maria

64. Wealthy Theater    1130 Wealthy St SE                                   1911   24 May 1994

67 Weathy Theatre Historic District.   Wealthy St from Eastern Ave to fuller   1880  20 Nov 1996
President Theodore Roosevelt changed the spelling of theatre to theater.

22. nothing listed

61. Grand Rapids Indiana Railroad Bridge   Downtown Riverfront        1892  8 Jan 1991
Well there's more than one railroad bridge. I love trains. Is this the one that used to turn around? Is this the one by Wealthy Street? Not my idea of downtown. 

74.