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When Wright designed the Meyer May house for a prominent Grand Rapids clothier, he had fully developed his Prairie style of architecture. Today, as a meticulous restoration complete with original furnishings and faithfully executed reproductions, the Meyer May house provides the rare opportunity to experience a Prairie house exactly as he intended.

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Frank Lloyd Wright designed prairie style house built in 1908 for founder of May’s of Michigan clothing store. The home was restored to its original splendor between 1985 and 1987. Funding was provided by the Steelcase Corporation- a major employer in Grand Rapids and the current owner of the home. 

Meyer May House

This tour of Grand Rapids includes several museums as well as historic buildings and other landmarks. 

Grand Rapids History, Art, and Culture Driving Tour

Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr.
was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in Grand Rapids,
Michigan and in 1931 began attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
He became a celebrated football player on the college team but turned down offers
to play professionally in order to pursue law school. He joined the Navy during
World War II and served on board the aircraft carrier USS Monterey in the Pacific. After the war he became a lawyer
before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1948. Ford was
elected to Congress twelve times and for eight years served as House Minority
Leader for the Republicans. His ultimate goal was to become Speaker of the
House, but in 1973 President Richard Nixon nominated him to replace Vice
President Spiro Agnew, who resigned over charges of tax evasion. The growing
Watergate scandal in 1973-1974 caused Nixon to resign on August 9, 1974 in
order to avoid impeachment. Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th
President on the same day.

Ford faced a number of
issues upon coming into office, ranging from regaining the trust of the
American people to dealing with economic problems. The most controversial
action of his presidency was to issue a pardon for Nixon; Ford argued that it
was necessary in order to avoid a long drawn-out trial and to focus on more
important problems. As President, Ford oversaw the evacuation of Saigon and the
collapse of South Vietnam in 1975; the celebration of the American Bicentennial
in 1976; and the negotiation of the Helsinki Accords with the Soviet Union and
Eastern European countries. He also negotiated for economic reform bills with
Congress, which included measures such as tax and spending cuts, and
deregulation of certain industries. In 1976 Ford lost a close election campaign
against Democrat Jimmy Carter. After leaving office Ford continued to speak out
on political issues and gave hundreds of lectures; he also established the
American Enterprise Institute’s World Forum in 1982. Gerald Ford passed away on
December 26, 2006. He and his wife First Lady Betty Ford are interred on the
grounds of the museum.

The Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Library &amp; Museum was officially opened in 1981. The library was
built at Ann Arbor on the University of Michigan campus, as Ford had decided to
donate all of his documents to the university. The museum meanwhile was
constructed in his home town of Grand Rapids. They are the only presidential
library and museums to be in separate locations, but they are still designated
as a single entity. The two-story, triangular-shaped, 44,000 square-foot museum
was developed by Marvin DeWinter Associates. It cost $11 million to build, and
funds were raised by over 14,000 private donations. The museum was dedicated on
September 18, 1981 with President Ronald Reagan delivering remarks. In 1997 the
museum was renovated and expanded to include more exhibits and programming. In
2016 the museum underwent a massive, $15 million overhaul that included the
creation and redesigning of new exhibits; the incorporation of audiovisual
technology and other interactive features; and the construction of the 8,000
square-foot DeVos Learning Center. &nbsp;

Today the Gerald R.
Ford Presidential Museum contains around 20,000 artifacts from throughout Ford’s
life and his presidency. It includes a series of permanent and temporary
exhibits focusing on the life of Ford, his wife Betty, the 1976 Bicentennial,
and events from the time of the Ford Administration. One of the most popular
exhibits is a complete replica of the Oval Office during Ford’s presidency. Ford
intended for his museum to not just preserve history, but to continue educating
the public on American values and democracy. The DeVos Learning Center contains
facilities where school students participate in lessons and activities that
teach about leadership, character, respect, democracy, and American politics. The
museum continues to host a variety of programs year-round including lectures
and performances. It is also available to rent for private events.

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is dedicated to preserving the memory of President Ford and educating the public about the values of democratic citizenship. The 38th President served from 1974-1977 following the resignation of Richard Nixon; Ford led the United States out of the turmoil following the Watergate Scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. His museum was established in 1981 as part of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum; although it is one institution, the Library is located in Ann Arbor. The museum has been expanded and renovated twice, in 1997 and 2016. It possesses thousands of artifacts from the life of Gerald Ford, his wife Betty, the 1976 campaign, and the 1976 American Bicentennial. The museum features multiple exhibits, including a replica of the Oval Office; a series of lectures and events; and the DeVos Learning Center, which provides educational program to students.

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

William Haldane, a cabinetmaker who opened a shop in
the small settlement of Grand Rapids in 1837, is credited as being the “Father
of the Furniture Industry.” In reality, his shop probably only supplied local
demand and did little to contribute to the mass-produced furniture industry Grand
Rapids for which would be known.1 However,
by the mid-1800s, Michigan was the hub of a booming logging industry, and Grand
Rapids had a strategic location, being connected to vast tracts of white pine
forest by the Grand River. By the time Grand Rapids was incorporated as a city
in 1850, there were many sawmills, several small carpentry shops, and one
furniture factory, run by Ebenezer Ball. Ball’s factory would become
the first in Grand Rapids to produce furniture using power machinery that was
then marketed beyond the city.2, 3 Immigrants who settled in the city from the
Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Lithuania often had fine woodworking skills
and possibly contributed to the beautiful, quality designs that made Grand
Rapids furniture so popular.4 John Widdicomb followed Ball in the
industry, and the John Widdicomb Company still exists today. Another famous
name in the industry was the Berkey brothers, Julius and William, whose company
and partnerships changed over time until it was the prestigious Berkey &amp;
Gay Co. In the beginning, furniture had to be shipped by wagon
or down the Grand River to Grand Haven, and then out across Lake Michigan to
Chicago and beyond. In 1858, Grand Rapids became a stop on the
Detroit-Milwaukee Railroad, and business opportunities instantly expanded with
this new shipping option. 1876 was a pivotal year for the Furniture City. An
impressive display of elaborately-carved Renaissance Revival furniture from
Berkey &amp; Gay at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition that year cemented
Grand Rapids as the premier name in furniture quality and design. The booming years for the furniture industry in Grand
Rapids was from approximately 1870 to 1930. A demand for ornate bedroom and
upholstered parlor “suites” or sets or furniture increased in the Victorian
era, as they emulated European nobility and became symbols of a refined,
increasingly wealthy society in the United States.1 During
that time, about one-third of Grand Rapids’ workers were employed in some
aspect of the furniture-making process.4 Thousands of buyers came to the city
for furniture markets and to view the displays at showrooms and exhibition
halls. The city grew to accommodate these many visitors with hotels, restaurants,
and shops. Colorful catalogs with photographs and illustrations
of furniture were an innovative marketing tool used by Grand Rapids
manufacturers at the time. Furniture companies began using Grand Rapids as a
trademark itself, to distinguish it from other companies who were trying to
bank on the name. There were several lawsuits over out-of-state companies using
the Grand Rapids name for their inferior products. From 1899 to 1913, all
furniture was marked with a red triangle logo with “GRM,” indicating that the
piece was truly made in Grand Rapids.3 The logging industry died away with the depletion of
the native forests around 1900, and wood sometimes had to be imported. Factory
workers suffered from decreasing wages, long hours, and dismal working
conditions. In April 1911, more than 6,000 workers walked out of the factories
on strike. After several months, the strike did have some success in improving
conditions for workers, but the industry was permanently weakened.5 The height of the furniture industry was over by the 1930s, as the Great
Depression hit. Fine wood furniture was no longer in high demand, but a new
market opened up with as metal office furniture replaced wood. Steelcase, Inc, founded
in Grand Rapids in 1912 and with its global headquarters still in the city, is
the largest manufacturer of office furniture in the world. The American Seating
Company, a large producer of public and institutional seating, has also been headquartered
in the city since it began as the Grand Rapids School Furniture Company in 1886.5 Today, the legacy of Furniture City continues, albeit
on a smaller scale. A permanent exhibit in the Grand Rapids Public Museum
showcases the history of the furniture industry, with recreations of a
furniture factory and 1920s-era showroom on display, as well as hundreds of
examples of groundbreaking furniture pieces in its collection. According to the
state historical marker in front of the museums: “Grand Rapids today ranks
among the leaders of the industry in quality, style, and design.”

Grand Rapids has come to be known as “Furniture City” for its long history of providing quality furniture for the world. Beginning in the mid-1800s, furniture manufacturing was the main industry in the city, employing up to one-third of Grand Rapids residents for a time. By 1876, when Grand Rapids-made furniture featured at an exposition in Philadelphia, the name gained national recognition as a marker of true quality and exceptional design. Today, the legacy continues as many office furniture companies, such as Steelcase, Inc, are still headquartered in Grand Rapids. 

The Furniture City

The museum features several permanent exhibits showcasing the history and culture of the city and Western Michigan. Permanent exhibits include Anishinabek: The People of This Place, which tells the story of the Native American tribe that inhabited this area; the Streets of Old Grand Rapids; Habitats of Western Michigan; and Newcomers: The People of This Place, which explores the ethnic history of the area.

The Public Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan was founded by a group of civic leaders in 1854 as the Grand Rapids Lyceum of Natural History and in 1868 merged with the Grand Rapids Scientific Club to form the Kent Scientific Institute and Museum. Over the next century, the Museum established itself as a premier educational institution in the area and continues in to fulfill this role for West Michigan today. Highlights of the museum include a planetarium, a 1928 Spillman Carousel and a 1928 Wurlitzer Organ. 

Grand Rapids Public Museum

Constructed first between 1900 and 1910, and then renovated substantially in 1925, the Italian Renaissance Fine Arts Building arose during a robust growth period for Grand Rapids (its population grew from more than 60,000 in 1890 to nearly 170,000 by 1930). The Fine Arts building served the Grand Rapid's furniture industry, which flourished during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The building functioned as a significant furniture exhibition center for the city's furniture manufacturers during the 1920s before the Great Depression took its toll on the industry.  In 1875, Grand Rapids businessman Felix Rainville and his business partner, Simeon Sikes, opened a leather-goods workshop that mainly produced belts used for industrial machinery. A few years later, Rainville, purchased his partner's interest and then, over time, expanded the operation. Rainville built the Exhibitors Building (laying the seed for what evolved into the Fine Arts Building) between 1900 and 1910. Initially, the building served as a small factory and power plant where several businesses -- mainly small manufacturers -- rented space. In 1925, the building underwent a significant transformation when local developer, Gustave Hendricks, invested in a project of developing furniture exhibition buildings near the Pantlind Hotel (the city's largest hotel at the time). He wanted to capitalize on the city's most prominent industry; more than eighty-five furniture manufacturers opened between 1885 and 1900. He first purchased and remodeled the Nelson-Mather Building across from the hotel. He successfully sold the entire space before the completion of the renovation. So, Hendricks decided to buy and renovate the Exhibitors Building, which he and renamed the Fine Arts Building. The new Fine Arts Building housed showrooms for a multitude of furniture companies.The Great Depression hurt the furniture industry deeply, ultimately leading to a profound decrease in showroom attendance at the Fine Arts Building. The city eventually took over the building, citing unpaid taxes. In 1943, the city leased the building to the U.S. Army Weather School, which used the building as a training facility. Two years later, in 1945, a local investment group purchased the building, restored its original Exhibitors Building name, and again used the building to house showrooms. In 1970 the building was sold to Hollis M. Baker, who continued to rent space to leading furniture manufacturers until 1979 when the building again went through another transformation. The Amway Properties Corporation purchased the building in 1979 and incorporated it into the Pantlind Hotel, which the group refurbished, enlarged and renamed it the Amway Grand Plaza (known today as Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton). The Amway opened in 1981 and grew into one of the nation's most acclaimed hotels. Guests have included President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Queen Noor of Jordan, General Schwarzkopf, and a host of entertainment celebrities. The Exhibitor Building functioned as an adjunct to the hotel, housing showrooms, retail shops, meeting spaces, offices, and spaces used to provide amenities to hotel guests.

The building was constructed between 1900 and 1910, and was home to several small manufacturers in its first decades. An extensive renovation in 1925 allowed the building to serve as a showroom center that supported the flourishing Grand Rapids furniture industry. As Grand Rapids grew from more than 60,000 people in 1890 to nearly 170,000 in 1930, the city earned the title "Furniture City." The building, now adjoined to the Amway Plaza hotel, has served as an integral part of the Grand Rapids downtown region for nearly 120 years. 

Fine Arts Building (also known as the Exhibitor Building)

Founded in 1910 in a local residence, GRAM moved to the Federal Building in 1981 and was housed there until its updated facility was ready. It displays various forms of art that span from the Renaissance to the modern. Its special collections focus on 19th and 20th century European and American art.

Among GRAM’s collection highlights are Albrecht Dürer’s The Engraved Passion, a series of sixteen engravings completed from 1507-1513. Also on this list are Ernst Barlach’s 1928 bronze sculpture, The Champion of the Spirit, and Finnish Tapio Wirkkala’s laminated birch Leaf Platter from 1951.

GRAM, more than just an art museum, also conducts special events, dinners, galas, facility rentals, guided tours, and numerous educational programs. It is also open free to the public during its Meijer Free Thursday nights, from 5-9, and Tuesdays, from 10-5. GRAM is open every day of the week except Mondays.&nbsp;

The Grand Rapids Art Museum, or GRAM, houses over 5,000 works of art within its 20,000 square feet of gallery and exhibition space. GRAM’s new home opened in 2007 and is the world’s first art museum to be awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold status. The museum offers rotating exhibitions along with its permanent displays.

Grand Rapids Art Museum

The Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives is known by the acronym GRAAMA, and for good reason. In African culture, the grandmother is the heart of the family, the one who keeps traditions alive and serenades her family with stories of generations past. She captures the attention of the family, and they listen. This summarizes what GRAAMA aims to do: sharing stories of African Americans from the Grand Rapids community, those from history and those making history still. "Grandma's Voices Project" is a series of oral histories available to researchers from local African Americans who have witnessed the evolution of race relations in Grand Rapids.The city of Grand Rapids was filled with informative, fascinating museums, but what was missing was one on the history of local African Americans. GRAAMA opened the day after Christmas in 2016, with more than 100 excited spectators on hand to watch the ribbon cutting ceremony. The Museum displays more than three decades worth of artifacts, jewelry, literature, and so much more from local African American residents. GRAAMA proudly displays images and information on Grand Rapids natives who shaped the community's African American culture, such as: boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the city's first African American mayor Lyman Parks, Sr., and classically-trained singer Catherine Borrow-Williams. Every February, GRAAMA hosts a series of special events to commemorate Black History Month.The individual who can be credited with spurring the creation of GRAAMA is George Bayard, who owns an art gallery in Grand Rapids and collects African American artifacts. Looking for a place to store his artifacts, he actively sought to establish a museum that would invite everyone to learn about the rich local history of African Americans. The current location of GRAAMA is not where the Museum hopes to remain, it is only a starting place. Bayard and others involved in the project are searching for a larger space to host concerts, forums, and lectures for everyone in the community to come and enjoy.

The mission of the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA) is "to promote, preserve, display, collect and honor the lives, culture, history, and accomplishments of Africans, African Americans and connected peoples in the greater Grand Rapids community." GRAAMA, which opened in December 2016, invites residents of Grand Rapids and visitors to share in the story of local African American families using exhibits, oral histories, and special programs. The location on Monroe Center Street in Grand Rapids is only a temporary residency for GRAAMA. The Museum is actively working on establishing a larger, more spacious building for visitors and residents to enjoy and learn more about African American culture in Grand Rapids. 

Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives 

From the neighborhood association website: "The seeds of Heritage Hill were actually sown in the mid-60’s. The area was fertile ground for several urban renewal projects incorporated with ancillary municipally-supported private development plans that would have ultimately leveled about 75 percent of the area which was traditionally referred to as the Hill District. Banks were “red-lining” the area and acquisition of properties by speculators and would-be developers was rife. The frustrations of individuals “fighting City Hall” were at an all-time high and the implications for home owners and residents were frightening.The nucleus of the Heritage Hill Association founders met in early 1968 and developed the idea of forming a neighborhood public relations organization. The first general meeting was held June 24, 1968 at the WOOD TV building and was attended by 125 people, including two City Commissioners. On November 9, 1968 the Association was incorporated as a non-profit organization.The first concern of the newly formed Association was to combat the onslaught of bulldozers and wrecking balls. In consultation with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a survey for designation as a historic district was undertaken and a preservation ordinance for protection was proposed to the Grand Rapids City Commission. This resulted in a moratorium by June 1969 on all construction and demolition in the area until studies were completed and proper enabling legislation at the state level was implemented. During that time every structure was photographed, evaluated architecturally and historically, and compiled in a document entitled the Feiss Report."

This nationally recognized historic district features homes with dozen different architectural styles. Click the link below for a walking tour brochure that guides visitors to the leading historic sites in the district. On March 11, 1971 Heritage Hill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The district includes the Meyer May House which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 2 pm; Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm.

Heritage Hill Historic District

The museum
features numerous rooms that still contain their original furnishings, to
include five family bedrooms, and dining, sitting and music rooms. &nbsp;The home also features its original silk and tapestry
wall coverings, window treatments, oriental rugs and many articles of clothing
and toiletries used by the Voigt family.&nbsp; It also has its original, combination gas and electric, light fixtures.&nbsp; 

Located in
the Heritage Hill Historic District, the three-story mansion was donated by
Ralph Voigt to the Grand Rapids Foundation in 1971.&nbsp; It has since come under the control of the
Grand Rapids Public Museum and features a carriage house and landscaped grounds.

The Public
Museum offers group and educational tours, and the museum is also open for
special events.&nbsp; However, the museum does
not have regular hours in which it is open to the public.&nbsp; That being the case, please call to schedule
a group tour or to check on special event openings.&nbsp;

Built by the Voigt family and completed in 1895, this mansion maintains a majority of its Victorian era amenities.  Occupied by the Voigt family for 76 years, its furnishings date back to the early 20th century.  For that reason, it provides a unique glimpse into Victorian living in a Midwestern setting. 

Voigt House Victorian Museum

Wealthy Theatre was built in 1911 and housed vaudeville productions and live musical and theatrical performances. As technology and tastes changed, the theater became a neighborhood movie house. During World War I it was used as a warehouse for the Michigan Aircraft Company. The theater remained popular through the mid-20th century but eventually closed in the late 1970s as suburban theaters took its place. The building was vacant and in disrepair until the East Economic Development neighborhood association launched a capital campaign that supported its restoration. The Theatre re-opened in 1998 as a community arts center and is the anchor of a revived neighborhood. 

Grand Rapids History, Art, and Culture Driving Tour

Meyer May House

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information