Kindel Furniture Building Burns Down As Granddaughter Watches [VIDEO]

Garden Street is blocked today between Division and Jefferson Avenues as Grand Rapids firefighters continue to monitor the Kindel Furniture building destroyed by fire.

Around lunchtime on Monday ... the Kindel Furniture building caught fire and burned to the ground.

For 99-years, that building housed skilled workers who specially handcrafted, top of the line furniture for buyers all over the world.

At an estate sale, I bought a 1910 Kindel parlor bed that pulls out into a twin bed.  Underneath is a pull out drawer that hold linens and pillows.  It's heavy and solid wood -- a true 'find!'

While I was driving home, with the plume of thick, black smoke in my rear view mirror, yesterday, I thought of all of the families that were supported through jobs at Kindel.  It's been around since WWI, the Depression, WWII, Vietnam, the Korean War, both times we've invaded Iraq, and during our continued War on Terror.

Once home, I saw Founder Charles Kindel's granddaughter on WZZM talking about her memories of her grandfather and his thriving business. 

Grab a tissue or two and walk through memory lane with Celia Said.  Click here to watch the video.