1955 ca
The newly completed building at the southeast corner of S. Division Ave. and E. Fulton Street, of a Art Moderne style, featured rounded corners and streamlined architecture. The large sign on top of the building advertises "Davenport Institute, Guidance, Training, Placement, Higher Education for Business Careers, Serving the Needs of Business and Industry." Davenport Institute occupied the second floor of the building from its completion in 1949 until 1961 when it moved to the 400 block of East Fulton. The entrance to the school was not at the corner, but at the doorway at the far right of the photo. The building just visible at the left of the photo is the Grand Rapids Herald. Various retail establishments occupied that ground floor.
| Title | Davenport Institute, Division at Fulton |
|---|---|
| Date | 1955 ca |
| Current Address | 2 E. Fulton St. |
| Pre 1912 Address | Corner E. Fulton & S. Division |
| Architect | Wilfred P. McLaughlin |
| Contractor | MacWhirter Engineering and Construction Co. |
| Date Constructed | 1948 |
| Original Owner | M. E. Davenport |
| Original Use | Davenport Institute and retail space |
| Neighborhood | Downtown |
| Notes | Title by cataloger. Pierre Lindhout was reported as the architect of the building in the Central City Survey. Wilfred P. McLaughlin is noted as the architect in the June 24, 1947 Grand Rapids Herald, where he is quoted about the building to be built. It appears from the article that the building was originally intended to be six stories. Research by Heather Edwards, Grand Rapids Public Library, uncovered the misidentification. Two addresses exist for the building: 2 E. Fulton, which is the main door at the corner; 12 S. Division identifies the entrance to the far right of the photograph. This corner was formerly the site of the Livingston Hotel, built in 1887, and destroyed by a fire in 1924 that claimed eight lives. M. E. Davenport acquired the property in 1947. The date of the photo is determined by the streetlight seen at the far right. That style of fluorescent light was installed in 1955. |
| Collection | Davenport University Archives |
| Rights | Reproduction and copyright information regarding this image is available from the Davenport University Archives, Grand Rapids, MI. |
| Location |  |
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