St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-08
7nsightly Buildings Which Mar the Beauty
of the Mill Oity's Main
ThOroughfares.
little Scheme by Which Certain Elec-
ton by the Council Was Bit
Delayed.
ifds for Mains Opened by the Board--
Officers of the Grand
Army.
Three Banquets in an Evening"
Work of the Courts--General
Notes.
UNsIGHTLY BUILDINGS
~ hich Cumbe Principal Avenues
Ney-y Structures Planned.

Which Cumbe Principal Avenues
Me-. Structures Planned.
1t is a m. ter of great regret, as far as
the architectural beauty of Minneapolis is
concerned. that certain desirable and prom
inent property is held by lot of old fossils
who. with an ample sufiiciency of this
worlds goods, will neither sell nor improve.
A glance up Nicollet avenue will fully Illus
trate this. With the exception of the Loan
and Trust company's building, not one Of
the many handsome structures of the year
have been erected on Nicollet avenue. The
eve of the resident, accustomed to the sight,
makes no note of it, but the stranger and
the casual visitor asks as the first question:
Why are there in the best parts of Nicollet
avenue so many disgraceful-looking rock
cries? Almost the same may be said OF
Hennepin, but it, being less of retail
street and less bilt up. is not so conspicuous
in this respect as Ncollet, and besides, the
proposed Masonic temple, the end OF the
Lumbermen's exchange and the Holmes
building go somewhat to redeeming
it. But of the leading build
ings of last season, but one, the
Temple court. went upon Hennepin, and
but one, the Loan and Trust upon Nicol-
let. The Collum and Stillman blocks, the
Lumber Exchange. Russell building and all
of the really handsome blocks were forced
upon side streets, leaving for the avenues
only those structures resembling brick
walls with holes punched through, for the
most part.
Most of the really elegant sites on Nicol-
let are occupied by little one and twO-story
buildings unsightly and unlovely. The
block from the Nicollet house to Third
street, on Nicollet from Third TO the Do
mestic building, the shanty at the corner OF
Fifth and the boarding house opposite
should be wiped out to give place TO build
ings that would at least be creditable. MIR.
Warner has been for some time projecting a
building on Nicollet and Fourth, and the
Bank of Minneapolis had gone so far as to
have plans drawn for a structure on Nicol-
let and Third, but there it ended. Henne-
pin avenue is likewise SCARED up with mean
buildings, entirely too familiar to the Min
neapolis people to be mentioned. Most OF
it is likely to remain so until after the
deaths of present owners.
Another handsome building is to go up
on Fifth street, between Hennepin and
Nicollet. and between the Robinson build
ing and Nicollet. 1t will have only one
thirty-three foot lot between it and the
Skies shanty at the corner. II. l.. Gordon
is the owner. and Architect w. ii. Dennis
is now perfecting the plans, 1t will be a
five-story structure, 44X157 feet, of cut
stone, probably Ohio brown stone, similar
in general appearance to the Collum block.
The cost will be between S25, 900 and $780,
O00 Mr.. Dennis is also making plans for
a three-Story brown stone and red pressed
brick building at the corner of Portland
avenue and Twenty-sixth street for Ole
Dahl. 1t will cost about S15,O