75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard // Saint Paul, MN 55155

The restored Senate, House and Court cambers and other public spaces are included on a guided tour of this architectural masterpiece designed by architect Cass Gilbert.

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(American House)

- 352 Wacouta Street (between Fourth and Fifth) -

- 1895, Cass Gilbert -

Adjacent buildings illustrate Cass Gilbert's commercial work in the 1890s. After nearly forty years of steady growth, Gotzian Shoe Company could afford to hire one of Saint Paul's most prominent architects to design a new factory and wholesale outlet. Paul Gotzian turned the outlet into rental property soon after its construction. Years of use by the American Beauty Macaroni Company gave the building its familiar name. In the 1980s, the factory was renovated into residential space.

- Profiles in Prosperity: Conrad Gotzian -

Conrad Gotzian came to Saint Paul about the same time as James J. Hill. A German immigrant, Gotzian established a shoe manufacturing firm that continued to flourish into this century. The two men were fast friends and built neighboring houses in the residential area surrounding the First Baptist Church.

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(Gilbert Building)

- 413 Wacouta Street (between Sixth and Seventh) -

- 1893-94, Cass Gilbert -

The Boston Northwest Realty Company saw great money-making potential in the commercial expansion of Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth in the early 1890s. They built a warehouse in each city, choosing Cass Gilbert to design the Saint Paul structure. The handsome corbelled brick cornice and graceful windows demonstrate the attention to detail that earned Gilbert his national reputation. More important to the first tenant, T.L. Blood's Northwestern Paint Works, was the "slow-burn" construction. Exterior walls of brick support massive, fire-resistant timbers. Cast-iron columns provide interior support without taking up valuable space. Today, tenants choose this building for its meticulous renovation and ready access to the skyways.

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- 141 East Fourth Street -

(between Robert and Jackson) and

- 350 North Robert Street -

(between Fourth and Fifth)

- 1891, Cass Gilbert -

Cass Gilbert, architect of the State Capitol, designed the Endicott Buildings as an arcade to wrap around the Pioneer Press Building, then under construction at Fourth and Robert streets. The Italian Renaissance facade with floral designs carved in red sandstone earned early appreciation form the historic preservation movement. But misguided efforts to clean a century's accumulation of soot from the facade taught preservationists the painful lesson that sandblasting can damage fragile details.

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