Paul Gotzian Building

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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.