Northwestern Building
(Previously known as The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad Building, 275 E. 4th Street)
This building was constructed between 1916-17 at a cost of $350,000 as an office building for the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad. It was built on the same site as the railroad’s previous office building, which had been designed by Thomas Fitzpatrick and destroyed by a fire. The present building was designed by Chicago architect Charles Frost who designed two other railroad buildings in Lowertown: the Union Depot and the Railroad and Bank Building (now 180 East Fifth). This building is a large eight-story Classical Revival style brick structure with an elaborate classical cornice and a rusticated granite base. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad was incorporated in 1857 as one of the lines of the River Valley and Southern Minnesota Railroad. In 1867 it was separated from that line and became the Minnesota Valley Railroad. During the 1860's the line was extended from St. Paul to Mendota, Shakopee, Belle Plaine, LeSueur, St. Peter, and then to Sioux City in 1872. There, connections were made to Council Bluffs, Kansas City, Omaha and the Southwest. General Judson Wade Bishop, who built the Bishop Block on Sibley Street, was the chief engineer for the railroad while it was under construction and later served as the general manager of its operations. In 1882 all of the various branches of the line were consolidated as the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad. This line also ran east of St. Paul to Chicago and Milwaukee, and north to Duluth and Bayfield. This railroad eventually merged with the Chicago and Northwestern Line. At one time Engine Company #12 was located directly behind this building on Hall Street (formerly Rosabel Street).
Today, the Northwestern Building has become a destination for entrepreneurs, artists, and small businesses participating in, and serving the creative fields. Drawn by the unique spaces, the Northwestern Building has become a community in and of itself.
Notably, Golden's Deli has occupied the first floor for the past 10 years. Starting out in a small corner, owner Jim Golden and his team have grown to occupy nearly the entire first floor of the property.
