National Register of Historic Places

Rickman Hotel

Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Listed
December 9, 1994
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
94001425

About this property

The Rickman House is an apartment building located at 345 North Burdick in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was formerly a hotel known as the Rickman Hotel. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. George Rickman, Sr. arrived in Kalamazoo in 1872 to be the superintendent of construction at the Kalamazoo State Hospital. In 1884, he formed his own company known as Rickman & Sons, which specialized in the construction of houses. Four of Rickman's seven sons eventually joined him, an in 1900 the firm's name was changed to Rickman Brothers, presumably due to the death of Rickman senior. In 1905, the firm purchased this plot of land directly across the street from the Michigan Central Railroad Station with the intention of constructing a hotel. In 1907, they hired Jackson, Michigan architect Claire Allen to design the building, and began construction of the hotel. Construction lasted 12 months, and the hotel opened in May 1908. The Rickman Brothers firm owned the hotel for only two years, until 1910, when they declared bankruptcy. After that time, the facility was operated as a hotel under multiple owners and managers. However, as the passenger railroad business slowly died, the building's location became less optimal for use as a hotel. In the 1960s the Rickman Hotel was renamed and converted into a senior citizen's residence. It was then used as a residence for single adults. The building was renovated in the 1980s and renamed the Rickman House. Another major interior renovation was completed in 2012. The Rickman House is an eight-story rectangular, steel-frame, Neoclassical former hotel building. It occupies a corner lot, and has two major facades on Kalamazoo Avenue and Burdick. Each primary facade has a tripartite composition, consisting of a two-story rusticated limestone base, a five-story glazed white brick mid-section with corner quoins and square-head double-hung windows, and an attic story with square-head windows sandwiched between two metal cornices. The base section contains two-story window bays with segmental-arched head separated by rusticated piers supporting a dentiled cornice.

Location

345 N. Burdick
Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
42.29425, -85.58367

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCE
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 Rickman Hotel

This page lists Rickman Hotel. 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 Rickman Hotel report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Masonic Temple Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Michigan Central Depot
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lawrence and Chapin Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Haymarket Historic District (Boundary Increase II)
Listed
0.2 mi
Desenberg Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rickman Hotel listed on the National Register?

Rickman Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 9, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Rickman Hotel?

Rickman Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Rickman Hotel?

The period of significance for Rickman Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Rickman Hotel?

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 Rickman Hotel will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Kalamazoo County

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

Explore KalamazooCounty ›

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 Rickman Hotel will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report