About
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Current Address: 3252 Lyndale Avenue South
Historic Address: 616 Washington Avenue Southeast; 329 Central Avenue Southeast
Neighborhood: Carag
Construction Date: 1936
Contractor: White Castle Restaurants
Architect: L.W. Ray
Architectural Style: Vernacular - Programmatic
Historic Use: Commercial - Restaurant
Current Use: Commercial - Retail
Date of Local Designation: 1984
Date of National Designation: 1986
Area(s) of Significance: Architecture, Cultural history
Period of Significance: 1936 -
Historic Profile: Known for 5 cent "Sliders," the White Castle Corporation brought fast food to Minneapolis in 1936. Originally located on Washington Avenue, White Castle #8 has occupied three locations. The arrival of White Castle Restaurants to Minneapolis marked the transition into the era of mass production; everything from frozen hamburger patties to the restaurant buildings themselves were made elsewhere and shipped to their sites. The portable rolled steel and porcelain castles have become universally recognized as White Castle’s trademark. Fifty-five of these portable castles were manufactured between 1928 and 1942, however, few still remain. White Castle #8 acts as a cultural artifact for the spread of the fast food phenomenon throughout the United States.
Photo Credits:
1954, Minneapolis Star, Central Avenue location, courtesy of The Minnesota Historical Society
2006, Lyndale Avenue location, Minneapolis CPED
Works Cited:
"National Register of Historic Places – Nomination Form," June 1986.
Updated: February 2007