The Woodbridge N. Ferris Building stands at 17 Pearl Street NW in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was built as a federal building for a post office and a U.S. District Court. James K. Taylor, supervising architect for the Treasury, designed it in 1908 in the Academic Classic style. The cornerstone was laid on February 12, 1909.
It is a 3½-story U-shaped building measuring about 184 by 124 feet (56 by 38 meters), with a half-story basement. The structure is steel with stone cladding. The first story is Renaissance Revival, with arched windows. The upper floors have half-round engaged columns under a classic cornice.
The post office and court moved out in 1972, and the building joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Grand Rapids Art Museum used it until 2007. Ferris State University leased it in 2010, and the redevelopment finished in 2013. It now holds classrooms and offices for the Kendall College of Art and Design.
Comments