Rochester Grain Elevator facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Griggs Brothers-Rochester Elevator Company Grain Elevator
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| Location | 303 East University Drive, Rochester, Michigan |
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| Area | 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Built | 1880 |
| Built by | John Ross |
| Architect | Charles Kelly Griggs |
| Architectural style | Gambrel roof elevator |
| NRHP reference No. | 10001028 |
| Added to NRHP | December 13, 2010 |
The Rochester Grain Elevator, once known as the Griggs Brothers Grain Elevator, is an old building in Rochester, Michigan. It's located at 303 East University Drive. This special building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 because of its important history.
The Elevator's Journey Through Time
In 1872, the Detroit and Bay City Railroad arrived in Rochester. Soon after, a local business owner built a grain elevator. Then, in 1880, two brothers named Charles Kelley Griggs and Albert G. Griggs started building their own competing elevator.
Their elevator was very successful! Because of this, the brothers built a second elevator in 1884. In 1900, the Griggs brothers sold their elevator to Erastus S. Letts. A few years later, he sold it to a big company called Ferrin Brothers and Company, which was based in Rochester, New York.
In 1909, a group of people from Rochester, including Charles K. Griggs and Erastus S. Letts, bought the elevator back. They formed a new company called the Rochester Elevator Company. They immediately started making the elevator bigger and better. They likely moved other buildings and attached them to the original 1880 elevator.
The Rochester Elevator changed owners several more times in the early 1900s. In 1932, a local businessman named Lewis Cass Crissman bought it. He let his son, L. Keith Crissman, run the business. His son then bought it himself in 1942.
The elevator was sold again in 1952, 1956, and 1962. Eventually, Lawrence Smith took over running the elevator. However, by the 1960s, Rochester didn't need a grain elevator as much as before. Shipping grain became a very small part of the business. So, Smith changed the company's focus. It became a store that sold animal feed, seeds, and supplies for homes and gardens. He kept the business running into the 21st century.
What Does the Elevator Look Like?
The Rochester Grain Elevator is made of wood and has two or three stories. It's actually three separate buildings that were joined together to create one large structure. These three parts are about the same length and are connected end-to-end.
The building in the middle is the original Griggs Brothers elevator from 1880. It's a two-story wooden building with a stone foundation. Its sides are covered with vertical wooden boards, and it has a pointed roof covered with asphalt shingles.
The section on the south side is a two-story wooden building that was moved to the site in 1909. It has rough wooden siding and a pointed roof covered with asphalt shingles. This part sits on a concrete block foundation.
The northern section is a three-story wooden building. Two of its sides have regular wood siding, and the other two have vertical wooden siding. It has a special roof shape called a gambrel roof, which is also covered in asphalt shingles. This section sits on a poured concrete foundation. This part was probably made from another building that was saved and added to the elevator in 1909.
The entire building is painted a bright barn red color. The front of the building, which faces the street, has two entrances for people. These entrances are covered by a metal awning that runs along the whole building. There's also a small addition with a sloped roof on one end. On the side facing University Drive, you can see old advertising signs painted right onto the building's siding.
See also
In Spanish: Elevador de Granos de Rochester para niños
