Abram W. Pike House

Abram W. Pike House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Show map of Michigan Show map of the US Location within the state of Michigan
Location	230 Fulton St., E., Grand Rapids, Michigan  United States
Coordinates	42°57′42″N 85°39′47″W / 42.96167°N 85.66306°W / 42.96167; -85.66306Coordinates: 42°57′42″N 85°39′47″W / 42.96167°N 85.66306°W / 42.96167; -85.66306
NRHP Reference #	70000276
Added to NRHP	July 8, 1970

At 172-years-old, the Pike House is one of Michigan’s historical treasures. Built in 1844, it is one of the oldest homes still standing in Michigan and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[1] The name, the Pike House, comes from the original occupier, Abram W. Pike. Abram Pike, a fur trader, came to Michigan in 1827. Pike lived in Port Sheldon on Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Pigeon River, and was employed as the company clerk for the Port Sheldon Land Company.^[2]

At the time, there were hopes that Port Sheldon would become a major metropolis. Though this vision was never fully realized, the Ottawa House Hotel was completed before the project’s eventual financial ruin. The Ottawa House Hotel was only open for five years but was recognized as one of the most impressive buildings in Port Sheldon.^[2] When Abram Pike relocated to Grand Rapids in 1844 he had four of the six pillars from the grandiose Ottawa House Hotel drug by ox and attached to the front of his home, which now stands—unmistakably—at 230 E. Fulton St.

The house was occupied as a family residence until 1922. In 1922, it was turned into the Grand Rapids Art Gallery—now the Grand Rapids Art Museum—and remained so until the museum moved in 1978.^[3] In 2014, amidst building renovations, workers uncovered an original “Grand Rapids Art Museum” sign, painted in large, bold letters atop the entry-way to the Pike House.^[4]

In 2014 the Pike House was purchased by Grand Rapids bankruptcy law firm, Keller & Almassian, PLC, who remain in the property today.

Historical Connections

Many prominent players in Grand Rapids' history have a link to the Abram W. Pike House, Abram Pike himself being just one.

Abram W Pike and the Port Sheldon Land Company

Abram Pike came from Ohio to serve as the company clerk for the Port Sheldon Land Company. Pike was a business man and successful fur trader. He was known for his friendly relations and business dealings with Native Americans and even spoke a few different local dialects.^[2] Port Sheldon was supposed to be a great metropolis of the "West" by capitalizing on the location's abundance of natural resources and the prevalence of the shipping industry on Lake Michigan. A notable, completed work of Port Sheldon was the Ottawa House Hotel. The grandoise hotel opened its doors in 1839. By 1847 the structure was being pillaged for lumber and firewood.^[5] Port Sheldon had gone bankrupt. After staying behind to sell off the company's remaining assets, Pike then drug, by Ox, four of the six pillars from the front of the Ottawa House Hotel to Grand Rapids where he constructed his residence at 230 E Fulton.^[2]

Emily Clark and the Grand Rapids Art Museum

Emily Jewell married Melvin J. Clark in 1861 in Solon Township, West Michigan. The two quickly rose to prominence in the Grand Rapids business and socialite community. Mrs. Clark is known to this day for her many philanthropic contributions to the Grand Rapids community and surrounding area. In 1920, Mrs. Clark purchased the Pike House with intent to bequeath the property to the Art Association of Grand Rapids, misplaced of a permanent home for their gallery. In 1922 230 E. Fulton became the first Grand Rapids Art Gallery, known today as the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), and remained so until the Museum relocated in 1978.

Architectural Description

Date of construction: 1844

Architectural significance: Four large white columns on the front exterior of the house. Antebellum Greek Revival style architecture.

Dorothy Pratt said of 230 E Fulton in "A Guide to Early American Homes": "This is one of the outstanding Greek Re-vival houses in Michigan, built by Abram Pike and occupied as a family residence until 1922."

Mathias Alten Discovery

In 2014, during building renovations, a large painted sign reading "Grand Rapids Art Museum" was uncovered across the top of the exterior entry way to building. This was a historical discovery in itself however, in the days following a special visitor provided more insight into the sign. The granddaughter of Mathias Alten, still residing in the area, stopped by the property to say that the sign was painted by her grandfather when he was a young man, new to Grand Rapids.^[6] Mathias Alten would go on to become a famous painter and local pride of Grand Rapids and West Michigan,^[7] adding to the significance of this discovery in both the historic and artistic communities.

Timeline

1842 Port Sheldon Company declared bankrupt

1844 Abram Pike constructs residence at 230 E. Fulton

1920 Emily Clark donates $50,000 to fund the purchase of 230 E Fulton as the first permanent location for the Grand Rapids Art Gallery, now Grand Rapids Art Museum.

1924 Grand Rapids Art Gallery opens

1928 Construction, 1st addition to house completed

1930 2nd edition completed

1978 Grand Rapids Art Gallery moves out of 230 E Fulton

1985 Design Quest furniture purchases Pike House

1990 J.T. French Co. furniture design resource center purchases Pike House

2009 Design Plus Inc. Architects purchases Pike House

2014 Keller & Almassian, PLC purchases Pike House

References