Ladies' Literary Club | |
Location | 61 Sheldon St., SE., Grand Rapids, Michigan |
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Coordinates | 42°57′45″N85°40′01″W / 42.96250°N 85.66694°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1887 |
Architect | William G. Robinson |
Architectural style | Romanesque, Richardsonian Romanesque |
NRHP reference No. | 71000400 [1] |
Added to NRHP | October 26, 1971 |
The Ladies' Literary Club also known as Wednesday Literary Club [2] was built as a social club building located at 61 Sheldon Street SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. [1] As of 2019, the building is being renovated into a social event space known as The Lit. [3]
In 1869, a group of Grand Rapids women organized a small history class. In 1870, this grew into the Ladies' Literary Association, which was formally organized as an association that year. The Association was influential in opening a public library in the city. In 1882, the group was re-incorporated at the Ladies' Literary Club to promote literary and scientific subjects. The club grew, and in 1887 they decided to construct their own building. The Club purchased a lot and hired local architect William G. Robinson to design a clubhouse. Ground was broken in 1887, and construction was completed by December of that year. Major additions and renovations were completed in 1931. [4]
Major additions and renovations were completed in 1931. [4] In 2005, the club disbanded due to declining membership. In 2006, the remaining members transferred ownership of the building to Calvin College, which made $1 million worth of improvements to the building. The college used the building as a music, theater and entertainment venue. However, in 2014, they decided to sell the building. [5] In 2018, a group of investors purchased the building with the intention of renovating it to become The Lit event space. [3]
Over the years, the club has hosted speeches by Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. [4]
The Ladies' Literary Club is a two-story brick structure with a tall single-story wing attached to the rear housing an auditorium. Bluestone trim is used around the doors and windows, and it has a slate roof. Although the building is substantially brick rather than stone, the design exhibits the massive Richardsonian Romanesque style. The building has French plane and stained glass windows. [4] This includes a Tiffany glass window appraised at $225,000. [5]
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