Cass Gilbert Cass Gilbert Cass Gilbert (November 24, 1859 – May 17, 1934) was a prominent American architect. An early proponent of skyscrapers in works like the Woolworth Building, Gilbert was also responsible for the Saint Louis Art Museum and Public Library; the Minnesota, Arkansas and West Virginia State Capitols; and the United States Supreme Court building. His public buildings in the Beaux Arts style reflect the optimistic American sense that the nation was heir to Greek democracy, Roman law and Renaissance humanism. Gilbert's achievements were recognized in his lifetime; he served as president of the American Institute of Architects in 1908–09.
Lewis Cass Building of Lansing was engaged to design the building, and plans were approved in 1918. Construction began in 1919, but was not completed until 1921. The building served as the state office building until the completion of the first part of a new state government complex in 1953. In 1951, a major fire caused severe damage to the building. In the reconstruction, the seventh floor was removed, leaving the remaining six. The building is now a six-story U-shaped Classical Revival structure, a seventh story having been removed after a major fire in 1951. The building remains in use by the state.