Heritage Tower (Battle Creek, Michigan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building
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| Location | 25 W. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, Michigan |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1930 |
| Built by | Walbridge and Aldinger |
| Architect | Weary and Alford |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 100002887 |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 2018 |
The Heritage Tower is a tall building in Battle Creek, Michigan. You can find it at 25 West Michigan Avenue. This building has both shops and homes inside.
It was first built as the Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building. It was designed to be an office building. In 2018, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical site.
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Building History: From Bank to Homes
In 1929, two big banks in Battle Creek joined together. They formed the Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Company. At that time, it was the largest bank between Detroit and Chicago.
The new big bank wanted a new, larger building for its main office. They hired a company from Chicago called Weary and Alford to design it. Building started in early 1930. A company from Detroit, Walbridge and Aldinger, managed the construction.
The new building was built where the old bank office stood. So, they built it in stages. This allowed the bank to move into part of the new building before the old one was torn down. The entire building was finished in 1931. When it first opened, the bank used the first five floors. The floors above were rented out as offices. About 70 out of every 100 offices were rented.
Changes During the Great Depression
During the Great Depression, a very tough economic time, the bank had to close. But it reopened in 1935. It changed its name to the Security National Bank. The bank stayed in the tower for most of the 20th century. In 1982, Comerica Bank bought it.
In 1993, the building was sold to Dore Industrial Development. They fixed it up and gave it a new name: the Heritage Tower. However, later on, everyone moved out. The building was empty for many years.
New Life for the Tower
In 2017, someone bought the building to make it new again. Now, it will have shops on the first two floors. Above those, there will be 85 apartments for people to live in.
What Does the Heritage Tower Look Like?
The Heritage Tower is a very tall building with nineteen floors. The outside of the building is covered with a lot of gray stone. This stone is called Bedford limestone and came from Indiana. The bottom part of the front of the building is decorated with black granite stone.
Inside, there is a huge dome in the middle. This dome is 46 feet tall. It goes up through the first four floors of the building.
