Woodbridge N. Ferris Building | |
![]() | |
![]() Interactive map showing the location of the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building | |
Location | 17 Pearl St. NW Grand Rapids, Michigan |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°58′00″N85°40′06″W / 42.96667°N 85.66833°W |
Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Architect | James K. Taylor |
Architectural style | Academic Classic |
NRHP reference No. | 74000990 [1] |
Added to NRHP | July 10, 1974 |
The Woodbridge N. Ferris Building is a former federal building, which now houses classrooms and offices for the Kendall College of Art and Design, located at 17 Pearl St. NW in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was formerly a U.S. District Court and Post Office. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. [1]
In 1906, Congress appropriated $500,000 to construct a new post office for Grand Rapids. In 1908, the supervising architect for the Treasury, James K. Taylor, created a design for the building, visiting Grand Rapids in April to determine a suitable material for the building's exterior. On February 12, 1909, Alice Roosevelt Longworth and her husband Nicholas Longworth III laid the building's cornerstone. [2]
The building was used by the U.S. Circuit Court until 1912, as well as the U.S. District Court and the post office. In the 1950s, Gerald R. Ford had his congressional offices in the building. In 1972, the post office and the court moved out into a new building. By 1981, the bottom levels of the building were converted to house the Grand Rapids Art Museum. [3] That same year, the federal government turned the building over to the city of Grand Rapids. [4] The art museum moved to a new building in 2007, and the former post office building sat vacant, although occasionally used for art shows. In 2010, Ferris State University leased the building from the city, and began redeveloping the building for use by the Kendall College of Art and Design. Redevelopment was completed in 2013, and the building was renamed after the founder of Ferris State, Woodbridge N. Ferris. [3] [4]
The Woodbridge N. Ferris Building is a 3+1⁄2-story U-shaped Academic Classic building, constructed of structural steel with exterior masonry walls. The interior of the "U" is filled with a one-story portion of the building. It measures approximately 184 feet by 124 feet. The exterior is clad with stone, and the interior has concrete floors with mosaic surfaces, and interior partitions of plastered terra cotta. The roof originally had a slate surface, but is now covered with metal. The front facade is divided into three horizontal segments. The lower portion is the half-story basement, which is covered in large, smooth, stones and has small windows. The next segment contains the first story, a Renaissance Revival-style section containing large windows with arched heads and voussoired stones. The upper section of two floors contains half-round engaged columns along the front facade, modified into pilasters on the sides. Across the top is a classic cornice with small pediments at each end of the front facade. [2]
Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) is a college of art and design located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Federal Building-Courthouse in London, Kentucky is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. It was built in 1911 under the supervision of architect James Knox Taylor, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The William R. Cotter Federal Building is a historic post office, courthouse, and federal office building located at 135–149 High Street in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the courthouse for United States District Court for the District of Connecticut until 1963.
The Federal Building, U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Hilo, Hawaii is a former courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. Completed in 1917 and expanded in the 1930s, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, formerly known as the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office and as the Federal Building, is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, located in Indianapolis. It is a distinguished example of Beaux-Arts architecture, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Constructed from 1902 to 1905, the United States District Court for the District of Indiana met here until it was subdivided in 1928; the United States Circuit Court for the District of Indiana met here until that court was abolished in 1912. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "U.S. Courthouse and Post Office" in 1974. The courthouse was renamed in honor of Senator Birch Bayh in 2003.
The Gene Snyder U.S. Courthouse and Custom House, also known as United States Post Office, Court House and Custom House, is a historic courthouse, custom house, and post office located at Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky. It is the courthouse for the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the "United States Post Office, Court House and Custom House" name.
The U.S. Custom House, also known as the Old Post Office and Custom House, is a historic government building at 423 Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was designated a National Historic Landmark, receiving this designation in 1974 and noted for its Egyptian Revival columns. Construction on the building, designed to house multiple federal offices and store goods, began in 1848 and didn't finish until 1881 due to redesigns and the American Civil War. The U.S. Customs offices have been located there since the late 19th century.
The Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Port Huron, Michigan is a historic courthouse and federal office building located at Port Huron in St. Clair County, Michigan. It is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The Federal Building and Post Office is a historic main post office, courthouse, and Federal office building at 271-301 Cadman Plaza East in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City. The original building was the Brooklyn General Post Office, and is now the Downtown Brooklyn Station, and the north addition is the courthouse for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York, and is across the street from and in the jurisdiction of the main courthouse of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse. It also houses offices for the United States Attorney, In 2009, the United States Congress renamed the building the Conrad B. Duberstein United States Bankruptcy Courthouse, after chief bankruptcy judge Conrad B. Duberstein.
The James T. Foley United States Courthouse is a stone Art Deco federal courthouse, located on Broadway in downtown Albany, New York, United States. Built in the 1930s, it was included in 1980 as a contributing property when the Downtown Albany Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2020 it was listed on the Register individually as the United States Post Office, Court House, and Custom House.
The Gus J. Solomon United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1933, it previously housed the United States District Court for the District of Oregon until the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse opened in 1997. The Renaissance Revival courthouse currently is used by commercial tenants and formerly housed a U.S. Postal Service branch. In 1979, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as U.S. Courthouse.
The Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse is a historic courthouse and post office building located on Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Its west side faces Public Square and its north side faces The Mall. It was formerly the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse and also known as Old Federal Building and Post Office.
The John O. Pastore Federal Building is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island located in Providence, Rhode Island. The building also houses a post office.
The Ronald N. Davies Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is a historic post office and federal office building located at Grand Forks in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota. Also and historically known as U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under that name.
The William O. Douglas Federal Building is a historic post office, courthouse, and federal office building located at Yakima in Yakima County, Washington. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Renamed in 1978, it was previously known as U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, and is listed under that name in the National Register of Historic Places.
The United States Customhouse is a historic custom house located at Houston in Harris County, Texas.
The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, also known as the Galveston Federal Building, is a post office and courthouse located in Galveston, Texas, USA. The building serves as the federal court for the Galveston Division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Constructed in 1937, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 as Galveston U.S. Post Office, Custom House and Courthouse, the building is home a number of federal agencies, and at one point housed the Galveston Bureau of the National Weather Service.
The Little Rock U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, also known as Old Post Office and Courthouse, in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a historic post office, federal office, and courthouse building located at Little Rock in Pulaski County, Arkansas. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
The Ed Edmondson United States Courthouse, previously called the Muskogee Federal Building- United States Courthouse, is a historic government building in Muskogee, Oklahoma. It was built in 1915 as a post office and federal courthouse. Although it is no longer used as a post office, it is currently in use by several government offices, including the U.S. Marshals and U.S. Probation Office as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The United States Courthouse, located in Des Moines, Iowa, is the headquarters for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. It is part of the Civic Center Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.