J.W. Knapp Company Building
The J.W. Knapp Company Building is a large commercial structure in Streamline Moderne style completed in 1939 in Lansing that originally housed the J.W. Knapp Company department store. Its facade features yellow and blue concrete panels with distinctive vertical columns at the entrances and long horizontal bands of glass blocks that allow light inside while limiting outward views.
Built between 1937 and 1939 by designer Orlie Munson of the Bowd-Munson Company and constructed by the Christman Company, it was called the most modern building in the Midwest when it opened. An expansion to the west in 1949 enlarged the structure, and in 1983 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This building served as the city's main shopping destination and shaped downtown with its colorful exterior and curved forms that locals recognized immediately. The bright yellow and blue panels and the distinctive K columns at the entrances became familiar landmarks that generations of residents passed by during their daily routines.
The building is easily accessible in downtown Lansing and can be viewed from the street to appreciate its distinctive facade and architectural details. The smooth surfaces and reflective panels look most interesting at different times of day, so visiting at various hours gives different impressions of how light plays across the exterior.
The building became known for its lively holiday window displays featuring Santa Claus advertisements during the Silver Bells Parade, making it a central part of local festive traditions. This Christmas tradition connected the store to the memories of generations of Lansing residents who passed by each season.
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