Minneapolis Armory
Encyclopedia
The Minneapolis Armory is located in downtown Minneapolis
, Minnesota
. The armory
was built for the Minnesota National Guard
in 1935-36 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1985.
The armory was the costliest single building in Minnesota supported by a Public Works Administration
grant. The building is an example of the PWA Moderne
style, a design characterized by strong geometry, bold contouring and integrated sculpture ornamentation. The building was designed by St. Paul architect P.C. Bettenburg, who was also a major in the Minnesota National Guard.
From the late 1930s through the 1970s, it was a venue for civic events, including concerts, political convention
s and sporting events such as Golden Gloves
tournaments. The building was used by the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association
as a part time home between 1947-59, and as its primary home court for the 1959–60 NBA season. The National Guard ceased operations at the armory in 1980.
Hennepin County
bought the armory in 1989 for 4.7 million dollars, with plans to place a new county jail on the site. The Minnesota Historical Society
sued to stop its destruction and in 1993 the Minnesota Supreme Court
ruled that the structure was protected by state law and could not be torn down because of its historical status. In 1998, the county sold the building for 2.6 million dollars USD to a private company for use as a parking
structure on condition that it be preserved. That is its present use.
Minneapolis native Prince
used the building to shoot the music video for "1999" in 1982. 16 years later, Aerosmith
recorded the video for their song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
" in the armory.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The armory
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
was built for the Minnesota National Guard
Minnesota National Guard
The Minnesota National Guard is composed of approximately 14,000 soldiers of the Minnesota Army National Guard and Airmen of the Minnesota Air National Guard, serving in 63 communities across the state. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal...
in 1935-36 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1985.
The armory was the costliest single building in Minnesota supported by a Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
grant. The building is an example of the PWA Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
style, a design characterized by strong geometry, bold contouring and integrated sculpture ornamentation. The building was designed by St. Paul architect P.C. Bettenburg, who was also a major in the Minnesota National Guard.
From the late 1930s through the 1970s, it was a venue for civic events, including concerts, political convention
Political convention
In politics, a political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to select party candidates.In the United States, a political convention usually refers to a presidential nominating convention, but it can also refer to state, county, or congressional district nominating conventions...
s and sporting events such as Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
tournaments. The building was used by the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
as a part time home between 1947-59, and as its primary home court for the 1959–60 NBA season. The National Guard ceased operations at the armory in 1980.
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hennepin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. As of 2010 the population was 1,152,425. Its county seat is Minneapolis. It is by far the most populous county in Minnesota; more than one in five Minnesotans live...
bought the armory in 1989 for 4.7 million dollars, with plans to place a new county jail on the site. The Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehood. The Society is named in the Minnesota...
sued to stop its destruction and in 1993 the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
ruled that the structure was protected by state law and could not be torn down because of its historical status. In 1998, the county sold the building for 2.6 million dollars USD to a private company for use as a parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
structure on condition that it be preserved. That is its present use.
Minneapolis native Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
used the building to shoot the music video for "1999" in 1982. 16 years later, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
recorded the video for their song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith for the 1998 film Armageddon. Written by Diane Warren, the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . The song stayed at number one for four weeks from September 5 to September 26, 1998...
" in the armory.