It is a great building, I did not remember that is was part of the modern motel they build next door. These days I would like to see them take better care of it. The derelict Y building next door does not help. I was also wondering why the fountain has not been running, it looked really great last year.
Thanks for the link to the EL pic Mich. Based on the cars, I'd guess that was taken in the early 50s... just look at those beautiful tall trees down the median!!!
I picked up my sister from Cali. at the Flyer stop in E.L., she went to MSU in the 60's and she was quite shocked to see E.L. 2018. We drove back down Michigan Ave. and I pointed out what may be the last elm tree of the elms that once lined the median from the east side of Lansing down through downtown E.L... This tree is in the area just west of the 127 overpass.
That kid should have been more careful steering that horse to the well... it looks like they almost wrecked! I don't think they started installing antilock brakes on horses until well into the 1920s...
There used to be a building next door of similar architecture the was called the Board of Water and Light Building which may have had a connection to City Hall. You could pay your bill there and bring in burnt out lightbulbs and they would replace them with BWL stamped lightbulbs. I do not remember much about City Hall back then except the fountain was really cool and loud!
As an adult I was only in the building for an extended time was when I served jury duty, it was a trial for a man who shot and killed a Lansing Policeman at Frandor. I am pretty sure the two buildings were connected which may have been a basement passage.
I am pretty sure the escalator went up behind the fountain which was a one story high wall of water falling into a rectangular pool. Think the BWL tower is separated from the City Hall tower and that there was a window wall behind the escalator in other words on the north side of the lobby. I seem to remember the lobby was full of light and sound from the waterfall. I am not a big fan of the new building next door, City Hall and the State building show up in Michael Moore's ad for his new movie btw!
If I remember the lobby was just an nice area to pass through, the escalator was on the west side of the room going up to the east where there was a mezzanine lobby for the elevators. The water fell sort on the wall and into the pool in a wall of water that came from the top of the wall. It was really cool, it was too loud for any office in the lobby area. Too bad about all the security they do not do that at the Capitol Building.
Speaking of the post office, I saw on EastLansingInfo today that the post office location in the MSU Union is closing. People will be redirected to the East Lansing branch at Abbot Road and Saginaw.
Indeed those were beautiful buildings and could have been a real source of pride for the city. They could have made for beautiful law office or any other type of business even if the city built City Hall at another location.
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It is a great building, I did not remember that is was part of the modern motel they build next door. These days I would like to see them take better care of it. The derelict Y building next door does not help. I was also wondering why the fountain has not been running, it looked really great last year.
Thanks for the link to the EL pic Mich. Based on the cars, I'd guess that was taken in the early 50s... just look at those beautiful tall trees down the median!!!
I picked up my sister from Cali. at the Flyer stop in E.L., she went to MSU in the 60's and she was quite shocked to see E.L. 2018. We drove back down Michigan Ave. and I pointed out what may be the last elm tree of the elms that once lined the median from the east side of Lansing down through downtown E.L... This tree is in the area just west of the 127 overpass.
That kid should have been more careful steering that horse to the well... it looks like they almost wrecked! I don't think they started installing antilock brakes on horses until well into the 1920s...
There used to be a building next door of similar architecture the was called the Board of Water and Light Building which may have had a connection to City Hall. You could pay your bill there and bring in burnt out lightbulbs and they would replace them with BWL stamped lightbulbs. I do not remember much about City Hall back then except the fountain was really cool and loud!
As an adult I was only in the building for an extended time was when I served jury duty, it was a trial for a man who shot and killed a Lansing Policeman at Frandor. I am pretty sure the two buildings were connected which may have been a basement passage.
I am pretty sure the escalator went up behind the fountain which was a one story high wall of water falling into a rectangular pool. Think the BWL tower is separated from the City Hall tower and that there was a window wall behind the escalator in other words on the north side of the lobby. I seem to remember the lobby was full of light and sound from the waterfall. I am not a big fan of the new building next door, City Hall and the State building show up in Michael Moore's ad for his new movie btw!
If I remember the lobby was just an nice area to pass through, the escalator was on the west side of the room going up to the east where there was a mezzanine lobby for the elevators. The water fell sort on the wall and into the pool in a wall of water that came from the top of the wall. It was really cool, it was too loud for any office in the lobby area. Too bad about all the security they do not do that at the Capitol Building.
Speaking of the post office, I saw on EastLansingInfo today that the post office location in the MSU Union is closing. People will be redirected to the East Lansing branch at Abbot Road and Saginaw.
Indeed those were beautiful buildings and could have been a real source of pride for the city. They could have made for beautiful law office or any other type of business even if the city built City Hall at another location.
Similar to the Grand Army of the Republic building in Detroit,
http://historicdetroit.org/building/grand-army-of-the-republic-building/