Minnesota Building
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Building is a historic office building in Saint Paul, Minnesota
. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) on June 10, 2009. The building was noted for its design, which was a harbinger for the transition from Classical architecture
to the Art Deco
/Moderne
among commercial buildings in downtown Saint Paul; originally designed in a conservative style, the building became more Moderne as it was being built.
and has a polished Indiana Limestone
facing. The structure's primary facades face the streets to the north and west, and have entrance bays
flanked by commercial display window bays at the pedestrial level and vertical window shafts separated by limestone piers
between the second and thirteenth stories.
At the pedestrian level, the East Fourth Street facade is symmetrical with the main building entrance flanked by display window bays and tall pedestrian openings on the outer corners. On the Cedar Street side the building's secondary entrance is flanked by three display window bays to either side. On both primary facades the base is sheathed with polished pink and gray marble
. Directly above each bay opening is a narrow band of decorative, colored tile. The main entrance is recessed and displays two sets of brass
plated doors flanked by wrought iron
and glass display cases. Above the doors and cases is a band of cresting
with a center metal plaque reading "MINNESOTA BUILDING". Above the cresting are five large transom
windows, with the building address "46" painted in gold on the center window. The top of the entry recess is framed with decorative cream-colored terra cotta
, which continues along the ceiling. In addition, the entrance has two large brass wall lanterns and, above the entrance, is a low-relief stone version of the Seal of Minnesota
, flanked by two stylized eagles facing inward. The secondary entrance is similar to the main entrance, except the bay opening is not as tall and has only a short horizontal transom above the entry doors along with smaller wall lanterns. The tall pedestrian openings are crowned with terra cotta scrollwork. The opening facing the street corner also has a recessed corner shop entry.
The two entrances are further defined by side piers and two piers directly above which are decorated with raised stone shafts stepping and terminating with floral motifs halfway up the third story. An ornate terra cotta belt separates the second and third stories. Simple raised edge banding occurs in stone between the eleventh and twelfth stories. The building has no cornice
; it was one of the first buildings in the area to dispense with them. Above the twelfth story, the attic story, is a blind frieze
of checkered stonework, terminating in a toothy crown formed by the rise of the piers above the parapet
in stepped, zigzag finial
s. The spandrel
s between the buildings windows were cast in a geometric pattern and set flush with the piers, spreading the checkered motif downward across the entire facade. The building originally had double hung windows on the upper floors, however they were replaced in 1974 with metal-clad windows.
The secondary facades, facing east and south internally in the block, are defined by similar window placement, but with concrete floor banding between floors and common brick infill between windows; these facades also display "MINNESOTA BLDG." painted in large block letters between the twelfth and thirteenth window rows. The windows on the upper floors of the southern facade were altered in the latter quarter of the twentieth century to improve views of the Mississippi River
. The building has a flat composition roof and an iron fire-escape on the southern facade. It is connected to the Saint Paul Skyway
System through an adjacent building.
The building was originally constructed with twelve stories, the thirteenth story was begun a soon as the building was completed in 1929 and completed in 1930. The thirteenth story is sheathed in the same limestone and repeats the window pattern; the new roof did not feature the same toothy crown that was integrated into the facade of the thirteenth story.
(1917) and Hamm Building
(1919). After the Hamm Building, no multistory office building was built in St. Paul until the Minnesota Building, itself the first high rise building in the city since World War I
.
The Minnesota Building was the idea of a consortium of developers interested in creating a higher business density in downtown. Lead developers Lincoln Hold and Development Company purchased the first Minnesota Club site in 1928 and razed it to the ground. Designed by St. Paul architect Charles A. Hauser, construction began in 1929 by the Fleisher-Greg Construction Company. Finished on November 1, 1929, the building cost an estimated $970,000, and was designed mainly for office suites for upscale business. The architect moved into the building's additional penthouse floor as soon as it was finished in 1930. The structure has 101000 square feet (9,383.2 m²) of interior floorspace.
The building's architect, Charles H. Hausler, has several other buildings listed on the NRHP: St. Anthony Park Branch Library
, Arlington Hills Library
, Riverview Branch Library
, also in Ramsey County, Minnesota
, as well as the St. Mary's Church Non-Contiguous Historic District in Hague, North Dakota
. Born in St. Paul in 1879, he apprenticed in Chicago
with Louis Sullivan
before returning to Minnesota being licensed in 1908. He was named as St. Paul's first City Architect in 1914 and served for five terms before leaving in 1923 serve eight terms in the Minnesota Senate
. While city architect he drafted the city's first uniform building code in 1921, and designed numerous municipal buildings including the Beaux-Arts Carnegie libraries
that were later placed on the NRHP. He returned to private practice while in the Minnesota Senate, and during that time designed the Minnesota Building, which was his largest work.
By the late 1990s, the demand for modern office space caused the building to fall out of favor with commercial renters, and it began to fall into disuse. As early as 2003, plans were proposed to turn the building into a residential building with limited, street level commercial space. It was purchased by Sand Companies in spring 2006, and in January 2010, the developer began construction on converting the building into 137 rental housing units, including some affordable units as well as 10000 square feet (929 m²) of commercial and office space
to the Art Deco
/Moderne
design that gained wide popularity in downtown Saint Paul from the late 1920s through early 1940s. The building was followed by a small boom of notable Art Deco buildings in downtown St. Paul, including the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse
, Saint Paul Women's City Club
, Salvation Army Headquarters
and First National Bank Building
. Architecture critics had described the style used as "mild art deco" with features that are "very urbane."
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. The structure was placed 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...
(NRHP) on June 10, 2009. The building was noted for its design, which was a harbinger for the transition from Classical architecture
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
to the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
/Moderne
Moderne architecture
Moderne architecture, also sometimes referred to as "Style Moderne" or simply "Moderne", a general United States landmarks term for styles of architecture that were popular from 1925 through the 1940s. It has expression in styles traditionally classified as Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and WPA...
among commercial buildings in downtown Saint Paul; originally designed in a conservative style, the building became more Moderne as it was being built.
Structure
The Minnesota Building is a thirteen story office tower located on the corner of East 4th Street and Cedar Street in downtown St. Paul. It is built of reinforced concreteReinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
and has a polished Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
facing. The structure's primary facades face the streets to the north and west, and have entrance bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
flanked by commercial display window bays at the pedestrial level and vertical window shafts separated by limestone piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
between the second and thirteenth stories.
At the pedestrian level, the East Fourth Street facade is symmetrical with the main building entrance flanked by display window bays and tall pedestrian openings on the outer corners. On the Cedar Street side the building's secondary entrance is flanked by three display window bays to either side. On both primary facades the base is sheathed with polished pink and gray marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. Directly above each bay opening is a narrow band of decorative, colored tile. The main entrance is recessed and displays two sets of brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
plated doors flanked by wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
and glass display cases. Above the doors and cases is a band of cresting
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
with a center metal plaque reading "MINNESOTA BUILDING". Above the cresting are five large transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
windows, with the building address "46" painted in gold on the center window. The top of the entry recess is framed with decorative cream-colored terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
, which continues along the ceiling. In addition, the entrance has two large brass wall lanterns and, above the entrance, is a low-relief stone version of the Seal of Minnesota
Seal of Minnesota
The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota is the state seal of the U.S. state of Minnesota.-Symbolism:The settler with his plow is depicted as being on the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls. His gun rests beside a stump signifying that he had given up war in exchange for farming, but was...
, flanked by two stylized eagles facing inward. The secondary entrance is similar to the main entrance, except the bay opening is not as tall and has only a short horizontal transom above the entry doors along with smaller wall lanterns. The tall pedestrian openings are crowned with terra cotta scrollwork. The opening facing the street corner also has a recessed corner shop entry.
The two entrances are further defined by side piers and two piers directly above which are decorated with raised stone shafts stepping and terminating with floral motifs halfway up the third story. An ornate terra cotta belt separates the second and third stories. Simple raised edge banding occurs in stone between the eleventh and twelfth stories. The building has no cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
; it was one of the first buildings in the area to dispense with them. Above the twelfth story, the attic story, is a blind frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
of checkered stonework, terminating in a toothy crown formed by the rise of the piers above the parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
in stepped, zigzag finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s. The spandrel
Spandrel
A spandrel, less often spandril or splaundrel, is the space between two arches or between an arch and a rectangular enclosure....
s between the buildings windows were cast in a geometric pattern and set flush with the piers, spreading the checkered motif downward across the entire facade. The building originally had double hung windows on the upper floors, however they were replaced in 1974 with metal-clad windows.
The secondary facades, facing east and south internally in the block, are defined by similar window placement, but with concrete floor banding between floors and common brick infill between windows; these facades also display "MINNESOTA BLDG." painted in large block letters between the twelfth and thirteenth window rows. The windows on the upper floors of the southern facade were altered in the latter quarter of the twentieth century to improve views of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The building has a flat composition roof and an iron fire-escape on the southern facade. It is connected to the Saint Paul Skyway
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
System through an adjacent building.
The building was originally constructed with twelve stories, the thirteenth story was begun a soon as the building was completed in 1929 and completed in 1930. The thirteenth story is sheathed in the same limestone and repeats the window pattern; the new roof did not feature the same toothy crown that was integrated into the facade of the thirteenth story.
History
The state capital, St. Paul was most prosperous during the late 1800s and early 1900s, much of its downtown development occurred during that period. Construction in downtown St. Paul was slow in the early 1920s. Several significant buildings were constructed in the previous decade, though all commercial and public buildings relied heavily on the classical style, such as the St. Paul Public LibrarySt. Paul Public Library
The Saint Paul Public Library is a library system serving the residents of Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The library system includes a Central Library, twelve branch locations, and a bookmobile....
(1917) and Hamm Building
Hamm Building
The Hamm Building is a 1915 limestone, terra cotta, and brick commercial building in Saint Paul, Minnesota; its ornamentation is exceptional. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Being in the heart of Saint Paul's theatre district, the Capitol Theatre was built into the Hamm...
(1919). After the Hamm Building, no multistory office building was built in St. Paul until the Minnesota Building, itself the first high rise building in the city since World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The Minnesota Building was the idea of a consortium of developers interested in creating a higher business density in downtown. Lead developers Lincoln Hold and Development Company purchased the first Minnesota Club site in 1928 and razed it to the ground. Designed by St. Paul architect Charles A. Hauser, construction began in 1929 by the Fleisher-Greg Construction Company. Finished on November 1, 1929, the building cost an estimated $970,000, and was designed mainly for office suites for upscale business. The architect moved into the building's additional penthouse floor as soon as it was finished in 1930. The structure has 101000 square feet (9,383.2 m²) of interior floorspace.
The building's architect, Charles H. Hausler, has several other buildings listed on the NRHP: St. Anthony Park Branch Library
St. Anthony Park Branch Library
The St. Anthony Park Branch Library is a branch of the St. Paul Public Library. A Carnegie library built in 1917, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1999 a rotunda was built on to the back of the building. This new section houses the branch’s children’s collection, one of the...
, Arlington Hills Library
Arlington Hills Library
The Arlington Hills Library is a 1916 Beaux Arts library building designed by Cameron and Company. It is one of three Carnegie Libraries in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
, Riverview Branch Library
Riverview Branch Library
The Riverview Branch Library is a 1916 Beaux Arts library building designed by Cameron and Company; it is one of three Carnegie Libraries in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is located in the West Side neighborhood. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
, also in Ramsey County, Minnesota
Ramsey County, Minnesota
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1849. As of 2010, the population was 508,640. Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county is named for Alexander Ramsey , the first governor of the Minnesota Territory...
, as well as the St. Mary's Church Non-Contiguous Historic District in Hague, North Dakota
Hague, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 91 people, 43 households, and 28 families residing in the city. The population density was 330.4 people per square mile . There were 53 housing units at an average density of 192.4 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 96.70% White, 1.10% African...
. Born in St. Paul in 1879, he apprenticed in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
with Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
before returning to Minnesota being licensed in 1908. He was named as St. Paul's first City Architect in 1914 and served for five terms before leaving in 1923 serve eight terms in the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house in the Minnesota Legislature. There are 67 members, half as many as are in the Minnesota House of Representatives. In terms of membership, it is the largest upper house of any state legislature. Each Senate district in the state includes an A and B House...
. While city architect he drafted the city's first uniform building code in 1921, and designed numerous municipal buildings including the Beaux-Arts Carnegie libraries
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
that were later placed on the NRHP. He returned to private practice while in the Minnesota Senate, and during that time designed the Minnesota Building, which was his largest work.
By the late 1990s, the demand for modern office space caused the building to fall out of favor with commercial renters, and it began to fall into disuse. As early as 2003, plans were proposed to turn the building into a residential building with limited, street level commercial space. It was purchased by Sand Companies in spring 2006, and in January 2010, the developer began construction on converting the building into 137 rental housing units, including some affordable units as well as 10000 square feet (929 m²) of commercial and office space
Significance
The Minnesota Building was the first Art Deco building in downtown St. Paul. Originally designed in a conservative style, the building became more Moderne as it was being built. Its design reflects a transition from Classical architectureClassical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
to the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
/Moderne
Moderne architecture
Moderne architecture, also sometimes referred to as "Style Moderne" or simply "Moderne", a general United States landmarks term for styles of architecture that were popular from 1925 through the 1940s. It has expression in styles traditionally classified as Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and WPA...
design that gained wide popularity in downtown Saint Paul from the late 1920s through early 1940s. The building was followed by a small boom of notable Art Deco buildings in downtown St. Paul, including the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse
Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse
The Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse, located at 15 Kellogg Boulevard West in Saint Paul, Ramsey County in the U.S. state of Minnesota is a twenty-story Art Deco skyscraper built during the Great Depression era of high unemployment and falling prices...
, Saint Paul Women's City Club
Saint Paul Women's City Club
The St. Paul Women's City Club is a 1931 Art Deco Streamline Moderne-style Mankato limestone clubhouse which provided a dining room, assembly rooms, dressing rooms, and bedrooms for members and guests of the club, in Saint Paul, Minnesota...
, Salvation Army Headquarters
Salvation Army Headquarters (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
The Salvation Army Headquarters, later known as the Seton Center, was a former historic structure in St. Paul, Minnesota. Deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in February 1983, owner opposition prevented it from being officially listed...
and First National Bank Building
First National Bank Building (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
The First National Bank Building is a 417-foot-tall skyscraper in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota.-Construction:The first building on the property, the Merchants Bank Building or First Farmers and Merchants Bank Building, was built in 1915 and opened in 1916...
. Architecture critics had described the style used as "mild art deco" with features that are "very urbane."