Goodspeed Brothers Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Goodspeed Brothers Building
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| Location | 188 Monroe St., NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | c. 1895 |
| Architectural style | Chicago school |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001877 |
| Added to NRHP | April 17, 1980 |
The Goodspeed Brothers Building is a historic building in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It stands at 188 Monroe Street NW. This building was once home to a popular shoe store. Later, it even had the city's very first movie theater!
Today, the Goodspeed Brothers Building is recognized as an important landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Historic Places in 1980. This means it is a special place that helps tell the story of Grand Rapids.
A Look at the Goodspeed Brothers Building
The Goodspeed Brothers Building is a four-story building. It is made with a strong steel frame. Brown bricks cover its outside walls. The building shows off a style called the Chicago school. This style was popular for tall buildings around the late 1800s.
If you look at the front, the ground floor has been changed over time. But the floors above still look much like they did long ago. Each of these upper floors has a row of five windows. These windows are framed with cool metal designs. The windows on the second floor stick out a little bit. This gives the building a neat textured look.
Two big brick columns run up each side of the building. They go from the second floor all the way to the top. A simple ledge and a flat brick wall finish off the roofline. It's a great example of old-time city architecture.
The Goodspeed Brothers' Story
The story of this building begins with two brothers, John and Theron Goodspeed. John was born in 1859, and Theron was born five years later in 1864. In the early 1890s, they moved to Grand Rapids. They came from a town called Ypsilanti, Michigan.
The brothers decided to open a shoe store. Their business quickly became very successful. Because of their success, the Goodspeed brothers built their own building. They chose a spot right in the middle of the city's main shopping area. By the year 1900, the building was finished. Their shoe business was doing even better than before!
Grand Rapids' First Movie Theater
Around 1907, the Goodspeed brothers had a new idea. They decided to put a motion picture theater on the top floor of their building. This was a very big deal! It was the first movie theater ever in Grand Rapids. They called it the "Idle Hour Theatre."
The Idle Hour Theatre became very popular. People loved going there to watch movies. It stayed open for many years. But by 1928, new, bigger movie theaters were being built. The Idle Hour Theatre was too small to compete. So, it closed its doors.
After the theater closed, other businesses moved into the building. A women's clothing store called Marshall's, Inc. was there. Then came Renard's Shoes. Later, it even became a hotel called the Eugene Hotel. Around 1980, the building was updated again. This time, it was made ready for a restaurant.
