Own The Irving Gilmore Mansion in Kalamazoo For Less Than $450K It would be difficult to get more Kalamazoo than Irving Gilmore. His father, James F. Gilmore founded the Gilmore Brothers Department Store. Gilmore Brothers was open in Kalamazoo for over a century before closing in 1999. After the senior Gilmore died in 1908, his mother, Carrie Sherwood Gilmore married W.E. Upjohn, the founder of Upjohn Pharmaceuticals. Irving Gilmore founded the Gilmore Keyboard Festival. Western Michigan University has the Irving S. Gilmore Theatre. You do not get more Kalamazoo than the Gilmores and the Upjohns. The Irving Gilmore mansion, a couple of blocks from the heart of downtown Kalamazoo is up for sale. The asking price is only $429,900. No extra charge for the history that comes with it.