Address: 310 4th Avenue South
Neighborhood: Downtown West
Construction Date: 1892, 1909
Contractor: Unknown
Architect: Long and Kees
Architectural Style: Chicago Commercial
Historic Use: Commercial
Current Use: Commercial
Date of Local Designation: 1980
Date of National Register Designation: 1977
Area(s) of Significance: Architecture, Commerce
Period of Significance: 1893, 1909-
Historic Profile: In 1893 construction of the Flour Exchange Building was abruptly halted after only four stories had been built. A financial panic sweeping through cities around the country resulted in a run on the banks in Minneapolis and the bankruptcies of many businesses. By 1909, the remaining seven stories were completed, resulting in an eleven-story brick Chicago commercial style building. Long and Kees’ design was a straightforward expression of the building’s function, not an adaptation of historic details. In a time of numerous elaborate revival styles of architecture, the design for the Flour Exchange set a precedent in Minneapolis, leading the way for other buildings such as the Butler Brother’s building (1906), with modern characteristics.
Photo Credits:
1910, courtesy of The Minnesota Historical Society
Still Needed 2006, Minneapolis CPED
Works Cited:
"National Register of Historic Places – Nomination Form," November 1976.