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Lawrence and Chapin Building facts for kids

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Lawrence and Chapin Building
Lawrence and Chapin Buildiing.jpg
Location 201 N. Rose St., Kalamazoo, Michigan
Area less than one acre
Built 1870 (1870)
Built by Bush & Patterson
Architect Lemuel Dwight Grosvenor
Architectural style Second Empire
MPS Kalamazoo MRA
NRHP reference No. 83000862
Added to NRHP May 27, 1983

The Lawrence and Chapin Building is a historic building in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is also known as the Vermeulen Furniture Building. You can find it at 201 North Rose Street. This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

History of the Building

Kalamazoo was once a big center for making iron products. In the mid-1800s, a factory that made iron tools stood on this very spot.

In 1870, two men named William S. Lawrence and Dr. L. C. Chapin started building this factory. It was designed by an architect named Lemuel Dwight Grosvenor. The company Bush & Patterson built the factory.

Construction finished in 1872. The company quickly became very successful. But as time went on, steel became more popular than iron. Dr. Chapin passed away, and Mr. Lawrence lost his money. Around the year 1900, he sold the factory.

After that, the building was used for many different things. It was a mission, a place for roller skating, and even a train station for local lines. Later, the Vermeulen Furniture Company bought it. They used the building for more than 50 years. In 1994, the building was updated as part of a big city project called Arcadia Commons.

What the Building Looks Like

The Lawrence & Chapin Building is a very large, four-story building. It is made of brick. It is built in a style called Second Empire.

The building has a special roof called a mansard roof. It also has a tall tower in the middle. Small windows, called dormers, stick out from the roof. The building is 68 feet wide and 188 feet deep.

The front of the building has tall, strong columns called piers. These piers have decorative tops. The windows are rounded at the top.

See also

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