Toburen Law has moved its offices to the iconic, white-columned Pike House at 230 E. Fulton St. to accommodate a growing practice and provide more convenient access to local and state courts for divorce, family and estate law cases.
“I’m very pleased to make this move to the Pike House and share some of the administrative staff of Keller & Almassian PC, the law firm that owns the building,” said Mike Toburen. “It’s a long time coming for my firm.” Keller & Almassian started to rent space to other law firms in 2016 after it purchased the property three years earlier.
Toburen said he was drawn to the site by its proximity to downtown Grand Rapids and nearby courthouses, as well as amenities such as free on-site parking for clients and private, spacious meeting rooms. The 18,000-square-foot Pike House is one of the oldest surviving homes in Michigan and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Built in the Greek Revival style of architecture, Pike House got its name from Abram W. Pike, a successful fur trader who constructed the mansion in 1844 after moving from Port Sheldon, a boomtown created by Eastern land speculators that eventually went bust. The four massive pillars that grace the front of Pike House today originally came from the Ottawa House Hotel, then the crown jewel of Port Sheldon before the city went bankrupt.
Pike House was used as a family residence until 1922, then it served as the location of the city’s first fine art museum until 1978. After that time, two home furnishing companies and an architectural firm owned the building before it was purchased by Keller & Almassian in 2013.
“This is quite a step forward for my firm — something that will pave the way for future growth,” Toburen said. “My clients will be greeted by a receptionist who handles visitors for all the law firms in the building, and I’ll be receiving support from an administrative assistant so that I can concentrate more time on serving my clients and building my practice.”