The Loraine Building, located at 124 East Fulton Street in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, was constructed as an apartment building, and was later converted into office space. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1982.

History

In 1901, Frank Immen constructed this building, the first apartment building in Grand Rapids catering to upper-middle-income tenants. The original structure was five floors tall, houseing commercial space on the fist floor and apartments above. The building was known as the "Immen Building" for a short time, but Immen soon changed the name to the "Loraine Building" in honor of his wife. In 1910 Immen sold the building to retired Tennessee lumberman Alston Willey. Willey added a sixth floor atop the building. Over the years, the apartments were gradually converted into office space, with the building being completely converted by 1950.

Description

The Loraine Building is a rectangular, six-story brick

Georgian Revival Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover— George I, George II, Ge ...

structure, measuring 92 feet by 45 feet, with a flat roof. The front and side facades contain prominent wooden bay windows projecting from the second to the fifth floors. There are two projecting bay units on the front facade, separated by a set of one-over-one windows, and three projecting bay units on the side facade, separated by three sets of one-over-one windows. A metal, dentiled cornice runs across the top of the building. A smaller matching dentiled belt course runs above the first floor. The facades have brick decorative elements, including angle quoins and rusticated keystones over windows. The first floor contains entrances into the commercial space. Two metal fire escapes run up the sides.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Kent County, Michigan Buildings and structures completed in 1902