The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-11-03
An ELEGANT BLOCK.
The Dawson + Nash Building---A
Nonpareil In Architecture.


|
TASTE AND SKILL AMONG
OUR BUILDERS.
Every season witnesses an improvement in
the style and character of our business blocks.
me hastily constructed shells of earlier years
have totally gone out of fashion. The business
buildings erected latterly are built to stand,
and they will pay to be built well. st. Paul is
to be metropolis, and here is to centre for all
| coming time, the commerce of the Northwest.
| The business buildings erected now are built
with view to that time, and each year are
larger and more convenient and durable. Nor
ia attention to taste and ornament lost sight OF,
as each season sees gratifying advances in this
respect, also.
We refer especially to the Dawson and Nash
Block, on Third Street near jackson, of which
the cap stone viii be laid in day or two. Its
progress has been observed with much intereat
by our citizens. on account of its ornamental
architecture; and since the front has been com.
pleted 90 as to show the design, it has general
ly been spoken of as 1.-THE handsomest front
in the city,"
The block is built of handsome blue lime
stone, and is erected in the most solid and dur
able manner. The general style Is Corinthia
It is three stories in height, and has an airy
basement The front of the block measures
56 feet on Third street. tits divided into three
equal parts. The upper portion of the block
(18E feet front) is the portion belonging to
Aid. VIM. Dawson. and is to be used as his
banking house. The balance of the block, to.
wards Jackson street (s7 feet, is, one would
Judge from the 'front.' to be divided into two
stores, each 1871 feet front. But there are no
partition walls between them, and both the
stores are thrown into one immense room, in
each story. This portion of the block was
erected by Patrick Nash, ESQ.
THE DAWSON BUILDING.
The depth of the Dawson building is 66 feet.
Its architecture is even more ornamental than
the remaining portion of the block. The front
is of neatly dressed stone, (Which is the style
of the entire block) but the windows have
some extra ornamental "hoods " very hand
somely worked in solid stone, and certainly
present very fine appearance. The cornice is
also ornamented with neat arch.
Tho arcade. or entrance to the Bank, on the
ground floor, is novel in its design. There Is
double arch, supported at the joining by corin-
THAN stone pillar, 10 inches in diameter, and
nine feet In height 1t was hewn out of solid
block of limestone, and certainly seems as dur
able, and strong as an iron pillar. This Is
somewhat original idea of Mr.. knight, the ar
chitect, but it certainly looks very neat, and we
have 20 doubt will stand IS long as the build
ing stands. ...........
There is to be small area between this pill.
lar and the doors of the bank, the floor of which
viii be paved with encaustic tiles in mosaic
making the tout ensemble of the front entrance
neat and ornamental. The interior of the bank
is TO be beautifully finished, but we defer IA de.
scrption of it until 1t is com pleted.
THE NASH BLOCK.
The windows of this portion, which-uni-
form with the entire block-have circular tops,
are ornamented with rich hood, and have
tasty appearance. The cornice is plain, but
neat, and the arcades to both divisions of the
front are heavy and solid. The pillars at the
front of the stores are heavy iron columns. As
we remarked above, both the stores are thrown
into one-a row of iron pillars occupying the
place of partition. The depth Of the stores is
so feet, thus making an immense room on
each story 81 by 80 feet in size. The floors are
extra strong, and capable of sustaining great
weight making them peculiarly fit for the
purpose for which the stores are designed-the
wholesale grocery trade. Our neighbors, J..
C. Racquet g. Bro, have already secured these
fine stores, and will soon remove into them.
They will have the most capacious wholesale
grocery-house, we believe. in the city.
The cost of Mr.. Dawson's portion of the
block was $500 and of Mr.. Nash's about
gil, 900. The cut stone work was done by
Michael Roche. His bill alone was 1000. but
he has shown the capability of our native lime
stone to receive a high polish and of being
worked into the handsomest ornaments. The
mason work was executed by Smythe &
Grace, two experienced builders. T. Reardon
has the contract for the carpenter work.
The plans and designs we're gos mp by A. +.
Knight Esq, the we'll known architect of oul
city, and who has designed some of our fines,
buildings. This last effort is one of his mos,
creditable, and stamps him as designer of nc
common ability.
We record the erection of new bushes,
blocks with peculiar pride and pleasure a.
they are irrefutable evidences of the growth O
| trade and wealth in our city, each year de
| manding larger, finer: and more stylish blocks
Our citizens can certainly feel proud of tn,
progress we have made in this direction durins
the season now about to close.
But we think that next year will be still
prouder one in this respect. Not only vii
for a season of business activity the like O
7 which has never dawned on our city. Gu
railroad enterprises, the great fow of immigra
| tion-the immense crops-the stimulus of ad