National Register of Historic Places

Boys' Club Building

Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan
Listed
May 18, 2004
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
04000457

About this property

The Boys' Club Building, also known as the Youth Building, is a recreational structure located at 115 West Street in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. In 1926, W.K. Kellogg anonymously donated $150,000 to the city of Battle Creek to construct and purchase equipment for a clubhouse for boys located in Irving Park. The city enlisted the help of two local foundations to oversee the project: the Fellowship Corporation (now the W.K. Kellogg Foundation) and the Battle Creek Foundation. The Grand Rapids building and architectural firm of Benjamin & Benjamin was chosen to design the building. In 1928, the management of the building was turned over to the Boy Scouts of Battle Creek, and W.K. Kellogg was publicly acknowledged as the donor. Operation of the building was transferred to the city's Civic Recreation Association in 1937, and the building's name was changed to the W.K. Kellogg Youth Building. The city opened the building to the general public. After many years of civic use, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation transferred ownership of the building to the city in 1950. The city used the building until 1988, when it was decided that the required repairs and maintenance were too expensive to justify further investment. The building remained vacant until 2003, when it was renovated for residential use. The new community was named "The Village at Irving Park." The Boys' Club Building is a flat-roofed, two-story Art Deco recreation facility, with walls constructed from buff-color brick and trimmed with gray terra cotta. The building covers roughly 15,000 square feet. It sits on a stone-faced masonry foundation, high enough to have a basement level. The main elevation is symmetrical, nine bays wide, with three-bay side wings. The building's main central entrance is elevated, and is approached by a wide stair. The entrance is through an arched opening with terra cotta surround.

Location

115 West St.
Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan
43.22885, -85.15631

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Boys' Club Building

This page lists Boys' Club Building. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Boys' Club Building report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Winter Inn
Industrial
5.9 mi
Greenville Downtown Historic District
Listed
5.9 mi
Gilbert, Giles, House
Industrial
5.9 mi
Belding, Alvah N., Memorial Library
Industrial
9.7 mi
Pere Marquette Railway Belding Depot
Industrial
9.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Boys' Club Building listed on the National Register?

Boys' Club Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 2004.

What type of historic resource is Boys' Club Building?

Boys' Club Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Boys' Club Building?

The period of significance for Boys' Club Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Boys' Club Building?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Boys' Club Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Calhoun County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Calhoun County.

Explore CalhounCounty ›

More historic places in Michigan

Browse all historic places in Michigan.

View Michiganhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Michigan history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Michiganhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Boys' Club Building will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report