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Address: 2540 Park Avenue South
Neighborhood: Phillips West
Construction Date: 1902
Contractor: Pike and Cook
Architect: Kees and Colburn
Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival
Historic Use: Private Residence
Current Use: Commercial
Date of Local Designation: 1988
Date of National Register Designation: N/A
Area(s) of Significance: Architecture; master builders; significant person; community development
Period of Significance: 1900-
Historic Profile: This large Italian Renaissance urban estate was home to Charles M. Harrington. Harrington arrived in Minnesota as a poor teenager, but by 1889 he was the president of the Van Dusen-Harrington Company, one of the largest grain firms of that time. In addition, he actively participated in and served as president of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. Harrington commissioned prominent architects Kees and Colburn to design a stylish urban estate on Park Avenue, a street that attracted the wealthiest Minneapolis residents. Kees, known for his work on the Northern Implement Company Building and the Grain Exchange, chose an Italian Renaissance style which features a buff-colored brick exterior and a red tile hip roof. A two-story carriage house built directly behind the main house mimics its design with corner quoining, deeply set windows, and entablatures with elaborate cornices. Only selective areas of the interior have remained unaltered since their construction. The main reception hall, grand staircase and second floor gallery, which were all done in mahogany paneling, and woodwork with decorative plasterwork on the ceiling have retained their historic integrity. The most recent addition, built to accommodate the current occupants, the Zuhrah Shrine Center and Mansion, is a one-story buff brick structure which contains an auditorium, club rooms, ladies’ lounge, and kitchen.
Photo Credits:
1963, courtesy of The Minnesota Historical Society
2006, Minneapolis CPED
Works Cited:
City of Minneapolis, "Local Heritage Preservation Designation Study," July 1988.