McKay Tower

src: mckaytower.com

McKay Tower is an office building in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, located on Monroe Center. It is currently the fifth tallest building in Grand Rapids.

Video McKay Tower

History

The location of McKay Tower is where the first non-Native American marriage took place in Grand Rapids in the 1834, only a few years after settlers arrived and the area was surveyed as part of the Michigan Territory. The marriage took place in a cabin that was owned by the American pioneer, Joel Guild which involved his daughter Harriet Guild and Barney Burton. The first town meeting was also held at the cabin that had a total number of nine voters.

The Wonderly Building was then built on the location in 1890. The first two floors of McKay Tower were then built in their current manner in 1915 and the building was then known as the Grand Rapids National Bank. Another 11 floors were added between 1921 and 1927. In 1942, the tower was bought from the Grand Rapids National Bank by Grand Rapids businessman and politician, Frank D. McKay. In the early 1940s, two additional mechanical floors were added to the tower.

From the completion of the tower in 1927 to 1983, the McKay Tower was the tallest building in Grand Rapids until the completion of the Amway Grand tower. The McKay Tower was also the tallest office building in Grand Rapids until Bridgewater Place was completed in 1993. In 2000, the University of Michigan, which acquired the building from McKay's will, sold the tower.