Downtown in Holland in Ottawa County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Warm Friend
5 East 8th Street
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 26, 2017
1. Warm Friend Marker
Inscription.
Warm Friend. 5 East 8th Street. This building was constructed in 1925 by the Holland Furnace Company whose company slogan was, “Holland furnaces make warm friends”. Notice the cozy “friends” at the top of the building. It operated as the Warm Friend Hotel and Tavern until 1981, and now serves as one of Resthaven Patron’s senior resident facilities. Essentially Neoclassical in design, this building borrows from various European styles, i.e. the Dutch-influenced stepped gable and the Italian Renaissance arch above the main entrance. The building’s west wall is scarred by bullet holes, the result of a bank robbery which occurred at the First State Bank, 1 West 8th Street, in 1932.
This building was constructed in 1925 by the Holland Furnace Company whose company slogan was, “Holland furnaces make warm friends”. Notice the cozy “friends” at the top of the building. It operated as the Warm Friend Hotel and Tavern until 1981, and now serves as one of Resthaven Patron’s senior resident facilities. Essentially Neoclassical in design, this building borrows from various European styles, i.e. the Dutch-influenced stepped gable and the Italian Renaissance arch above the main entrance. The building’s west wall is scarred by bullet holes, the result of a bank robbery which occurred at the First State Bank, 1 West 8th Street, in 1932.
Erected by Holland Michigan Sesquicentennial.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 42° 47.424′ N, 86° 6.427′ W. Marker is in Holland, Michigan, in Ottawa County. It is in Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of East 8th Street and Central Avenue, on the right when traveling west on East 8th Street. Marker is mounted at eye-level, on the southwest corner of the subject building, facing East 8th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5 East 8th Street, Holland MI 49423, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
Also see . . . The Warm Friend. A. H. Landwehr was the treasurer and manager of the Holland Furnace Company, which began in 1906 and quickly became the city’s major employer. Landwehr built this hotel for two reasons. First, Holland did not have a luxury facility after the Ottawa Beach Hotel was destroyed in a fire on November 6, 1923. Second, while Landwehr was busy trying to put Holland on the map, he needed a place to house the multitude of businessmen that came to see him from all over the country. (Submitted on July 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 26, 2017
2. The Warm Friend, 8th Street Entrance
(looking east from marker along East 8th Street)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 26, 2017
3. Warm Friend Marker
(bullet holes from 1932 bank robbery visible on west wall, left of window and also near marker)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 561 times since then and 82 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on July 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
