Saint Anthony Main in Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Symbols on the Skyline
— Saint Anthony Falls Heritage Trail —
Several structures have dominated the crest of the hill above this spot. The first was a luxury hotel named the Winslow House, built in 1857 by James M. Winslow while St. Anthony was still a favorite resort and health spa. Its style of architecture according to a St. Paul newspaper had "a cupola and mortgage on top." During the Civil War, tourists from the South stopped spending summers at the falls, and the hotel closed.
The Winslow House was torn down in 1886 to make way for the Minneapolis Industrial Exposition Building. Testimony to the booming growth of Minneapolis in the 1880s, this "modified Renaissance" structure with a 240-foot tower was intended as a showcase for modern technology and industry. Its most historic moment came in 1892 when it hosted the Republican National Convention, but as the depression of the 1890s dragged on, the cavernous building failed to attract conventions and trade fairs. Later it was converted to a warehouse and storage facility.
In the 1940 the Exposition Building was replaced by a Coca-Cola bottling plant, which for a while used the old tower to carry the picture of a giant Coke bottle. Coca-Cola in turn gave way to urban redevelopment. The site is now occupied by townhouses.
St. Anthony Main was created in the 1970s and 1980s from the mid-nineteenth century commercial buildings on Main Street, encouraged by a national enthusiasm for historic preservation and riverfront retail development. Riverplace followed, but the developments failed as shopping malls. Nearby highrise buildings are now filled with homes and apartments, and most of the shops have been converted to offices.
Erected by the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Unitarian Universalism (UUism) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.
Location. 44° 59.121′ N, 93° 15.483′ W. Marker is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. It is in Saint Anthony Main. Marker can be reached from Southeast Main Street south of Merriam Street. Marker is along a walking path next to the Mississippi River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Minneapolis MN 55414, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Eliza Winston (within shouting distance of this marker); The Whirlpool (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); In commemoration of the courageous French explorers (about 500 feet away); Stepping Stone Between East and West (about 500 feet away); Joseph N. Nicollet (about 700 feet away); Main Street Builds (about 700 feet away); A Horseshoe for the River (about 700 feet away); Richard Chute Square (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Minneapolis.
More about this marker. [photo captions, clockwise from top]
• The Exposition Building was designed by Minneapolis architect Isaac Hodgson in 1886. It was so large that clerks in the mail order house that later occupied it used roller skates to fill orders.
• In the 1940s, after most of the Exposition Building was torn down, a giant Coke bottle was fixed to the remaining tower. The church to the left of the tower is Our Lady of Lourdes, built in 1857 as the First Universalist Church. In the 1880s a steeple was added to the original Greek Revival structure, and other modifications were made after the building became a French Catholic Church. Our Lady of Lourdes is the oldest continuously operating church in Minneapolis.
• Ard Godfrey helped Franklin Steele to build the first dam and saw mill in St. Anthony. The Godfrey house was built in 1848 near the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue Southeast behind the Exposition Building. Restored and refurnished by the Woman's Club of Minneapolis, it is open to the public.
• The Winslow House commanded a full view of the Falls of St. Anthony. Advertisements claimed that guests might enjoy fine fishing in Lakes Calhoun and Harriet and boasted that "the prairies and surrounding forests abound with game." In this 1860 photograph, men and women are shown playing croquet. The building later housed Macalester College (now in St. Paul) and the Minnesota College Hospital.
Also see . . . Industrial Exposition Building. Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on December 5, 2011.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 5, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 790 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 5, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. 4. submitted on November 16, 2016.