“The Flats” (300-314¼ 26^th Avenue North)– exterior 

1936

2006

Address: 300-314½ 26^th Avenue North

Neighborhood: Hawthorne

Construction Date: 1885

Contractor: Union Stone & Building Company

Architect: W.D. Kimball

Historic Use: Private Residences

Current Use: Private Residences

Date of Local Designation: 1984

Date of National Designation: N/A

Area of Significance: Architecture

Period of Significance: 1885-

Historic Profile:  The Concrete Block Rowhouses are an early example of using concrete to build houses. They are one of nine concrete block dwellings built in the same neighborhood in 1885. During this period, concrete was typically used on industrial or commercial buildings. It was unusual to use concrete as an exterior material on houses. Concrete looked like natural stone but cost less. 

Real estate developer William N. Holway and others formed the Union Stone and Building Company. They worked with three architects to develop this group of nine dwellings. W.D. Kimball designed the Concrete Block Rowhouses. The rowhouses have 11 units and cost $30,000 to build. 

The rowhouses form an L shape and wrap around the corner of 26th Ave N and 3rd St N. The rowhouses’ design differs from the other eight concrete block houses. The rowhouses are two stories tall with flat roofs. Each unit has a bay window on the first story. On the second story, a concrete pilaster separates each unit. Along the roofline, there is a decorative concrete cornice with brackets.  

Photo Credits:

1936, courtesy of Marjorie Benson

2006, CPED Staff

Works Cited:

City of Minneapolis, "National Register of Historic Places – Nomination Form," 1982.

CPED Files, 1987-2006