McKay Tower
| McKay Tower | |
|---|---|
|
McKay Tower in 2010. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location |
146 Monroe Center NW Grand Rapids, Michigan United States |
| Coordinates | 42°57′58″N 85°40′17″W / 42.9662°N 85.6714°WCoordinates: 42°57′58″N 85°40′17″W / 42.9662°N 85.6714°W |
| Completed | 1927 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 259 ft (79 m) |
| Roof | 227 ft (69 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 18 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Owen-Ames-Kimball Company |
McKay Tower is an office building in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, located on Monroe Center.[1] It is currently the fifth tallest building in Grand Rapids.[2]
History
The location of McKay Tower is where the first non-Native American marriage took place in Grand Rapids in the 1834, only a few years after settlers arrived and the area was surveyed as part of the Michigan Territory.[2][3] The marriage took place in a cabin that was owned by the American pioneer, Joel Guild which involved his daughter Harriet Guild and Barney Burton.[3] The first town meeting was also held at the cabin that had a total number of nine voters.[3]
The Wonderly Building was then built on the location in 1890.[1] The first two floors of McKay Tower were then built in their current manner in 1915 and the building was then known as the Grand Rapids National Bank.[2] Another 11 floors were added between 1921 and 1927.[1] In 1942, the tower was bought from the Grand Rapids National Bank by Grand Rapids businessman and politician, Frank D. McKay.[2] In the early 1940s, two additional mechanical floors were added to the tower.[2]
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Site of McKay Tower in 1874.
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The Wonderly Building in 1912.
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McKay Tower site circa 1915.
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Construction of McKay Tower in the early 1920s.
From the completion of the tower in 1927 to 1983, the McKay Tower was the tallest building in Grand Rapids until the completion of the Amway Grand tower.[2] The McKay Tower was also the tallest office building in Grand Rapids until Bridgewater Place was completed in 1993.[1] In 2000, the University of Michigan, which acquired the building from McKay's will, sold the tower.[2]
Architecture
McKay Tower is a Greek Revival structure.[2] The tower currently has a three-story penthouse and a metal dome.[1]
| Preceded by 77 Monroe Center |
Tallest Building in Grand Rapids 1927-1983 259 feet |
Succeeded by Amway Grand |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "McKay Tower". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ellison, Garret (September 18, 2012). "McKay Tower in Grand Rapids Quietly Sold to Borisch Family for $10.5 Million". MLive. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
- 1 2 3 History and Directory of Kent County, Michigan, Containing a History of Each Township, and the City of Grand Rapids; the Name, Location and Postoffice Address of All Residents Outside of the City: A List of Postoffices in the County; a Schedule of Population; and Other Valuable Statistics. Grand Rapids, MI: Daily Eagle Steam Printing House. 21 November 1870. pp. 114–136.