Peer House, 50 North 2nd Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Peer House | |
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| Address: | 50 2nd Avenue N |
| Neighborhood/s: | Warehouse District, Minneapolis, Minnesota, North Loop, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| City/locality- State/province |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| County- State/province: |
Hennepin County, Minnesota |
| State/province: | Minnesota |
| Country: | United States |
| Year built: | 1881 |
| Primary Style: | Vernacular |
| Additions: | Addition to the back of the building in 1902. |
| Major Alterations: | Some/mostly intact |
| Historic Function: | Warehouse/storage |
| Current Function: | Restaurant |
| Current Function: | Retail |
| Other Current Function: | Retail |
| Material of Exterior Wall Covering: | Brick |
| Material of Foundation: | Brick |
| Part of the Site: | {{{site_name}}} |
(44.9856603° N, 93.2688492° W)
| National Register of Historic Places Information | |
| Reference Number: | 89001937 |
| Reference URL: | [Reference] |
| Certification date: | November 3, 1989 |
| Level of significance: | National |
| Primary Style: | Classical Revival |
| Secondary Style: | Romanesque |
| Year/s of Major Alterations: | 1902 |
The Peer House was originally built in 1881. The proximity to the river and the railroad made this location perfect for small warehouse buildings with storefronts. The Peer House is a prime example of the early warehouse structures as it is a two-story building that originally operated a storefront at the street level. The warehouse district includes a 30 block area with over 150 buildings included. Most were originally built to be used for storage, manufacturing, wholesale goods, and milling which made their proximity to the river and transportation extremely important for the neighborhood's prosperity. This area operated as a busy commercial center until the 1930s when the decline of the railroad combined with the Great Depression left many of the building quickly abandoned.
History
Historic Uses:
Although the owners of this building have changed over time, the basic use has remained the same. The original functions of a commercial structure with warehouse space supported the Northwestern Grease Wool Company, and Marvel Rack, and most recently the use changed drastically into a retail and restaurant combination.
Rehabilitation:
In 2008 the building was purchased by two brothers (from the Dayton family) who wanted to create a place where people could come together and feel at home, thus they gave it the name Peer House. This goal was achieved by the architects, James Dayton Design, retaining as many of the original features as possible to create an authentic feeling. This meant that throughout the rehabilitation process they consciously were making decisions to restore the historic characteristics of the building while remaining honest about the changes they had to make. The sections of the interior wood floors that needed replacement were patched in a way that would be obvious as to what was original and what a replacement was. While planning the placement of the restrooms it was acknowledged that this would make a large impact on the interior since plumbing and fixtures would need to be added. Keeping in mind that the goal was to retain as much historic character as possible, the restrooms were placed carefully in the areas that would need the largest amount of rehabilitation, which would have meant lost characteristics either way. There were multiple examples of these creative, considerate design solutions implemented in this project.
Current Use:
Each level of the building now serves a unique use, while remaining a cohesively linked building. The basement floor is home to Marvel Bar, reminiscent of a speakeasy. The main street level opens up to a men’s clothing store, Askov Finlayson, as well as a Nordic restaurant, The Bachelor Farmer. The original loading dock was also restored and used as the main entrance to the restaurant. The second level holds a variety of private event spaces that range from being ornately decorated with walls covered by crocheted blankets, to virtually untouched. Although each space throughout the building has evoked a different feeling, there is a cohesiveness to the building as a whole. One thing that remains constant is the care that was paid to remaining honest about the historic attributes of the building contrasted with the new elements.
Memories and stories
Photo Gallery
Related Links/Sources
James Dayton Design, http://www.jddltd.com/
Minnesota Historical Society, http://www.mnhs.org/
The Bachelor Farmer, http://thebachelorfarmer.com/
National Register of Historic Places, http://nrhp.mnhs.org/
North Loop, http://northloop.org/
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