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Crookston City Hall

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Postcard of Crookston’s city hall, ca. 1915.

Postcard of Crookston’s city hall, ca. 1915.

At the southeast corner of Crookston’s historic downtown business district stands the old city hall, built in 1899 to house the booming city’s police department, fire department, and government offices.

In 1898 the city of Crookston was growing in prominence as a railroad and lumbering town. As its population neared 7,000, officials recognized a need to expand city services. The architect chosen to design the city’s central public building, Emil H. Strassburger, presented his plans for approval in 1899.

Born in Germany in 1853, Strassburger had emigrated first to San Antonio, Texas. He and three other German-born architects, Emil Ulrici, Albert Zschocke, and Herman Kretz, all moved from San Antonio to Minnesota between 1883 and 1877. They left their mark by designing many buildings in St. Paul. Strassburger moved to Crookston in 1899 and set up an office in the Fournet Block. He would go on to build at least two other business in Crookston: the Rolsch Block and the Minneapolis Brewing Company building.

The city hall building Strassburger designed at 123 South Broadway was fifty feet wide and 130 thirty feet in depth. It was two stories high and built of Minneapolis pressed red brick. The original building featured a pyramidal roof and a bell tower on the southwest corner of the building, as well as Sullivanesque floral designs in the front. It cost approximately $20,000 to build.

The Crookston Fire Department, led by Crookston’s first fire chief, jeweler Tom Morris, was housed in the front of the building, in a room thirty-nine feet by fifty feet in size. There was originally room for four horses and a hose storage space on this floor.

In the original design, the police department was housed at the back of the building and was reached by a long hallway on the north side. Two men’s jail cells and one women’s cell were located in this area. In the basement were a boiler room, a gymnasium for the firemen, and an area where up to fifty itinerant workers could find temporary quarters.

A large room on the second floor, forty-seven by fifty-five feet in size, was the meeting room of the city council. This room featured an ornate metal ceiling and a skylight. Also on the second floor were a municipal courtroom, the judge’s office, the city clerk’s office, and a band room.

Unfortunately, by 1905, the city hall building began to demonstrate serious structural problems, including sprung doors, cracked walls, and a sagging second story. The city called upon architect Bert Keck to come up with a plan to renovate the building. Keck’s suggested improvements were approved by the city council in March of 1907.

During a major renovation, workers eliminated the original stairway and built an eight-foot-wide staircase from the north entrance on Broadway up to the second floor. They also added one truss as well as a brick wall running through the building across the council chamber. Together, these changes served to support the roof over the chamber. The police department began bringing its prisoners to their offices via the Fletcher Street entrance. In addition, the fire department now provided second-floor sleeping rooms for the firemen.

Gradually, the city hall was abandoned as a public building. The fire department received new quarters in 1968, followed by the police department and city offices by 1979. After the city offices moved, the local paper chronicled a discussion on what should be done with the vacant old city hall. Although some reportedly considered the building an eyesore, others wished to keep it alive to preserve a piece of Crookston’s history. It became part of Crookston’s Historic Commercial District and was named on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1984.

The building was purchased by Eickof Construction for business purposes in 1979, and the pyramidal roof and bell tower were removed about this time.

In 2006, Larry and Ellen Leake purchased the building and began using it as a gift shop, allowing most of the historic features of the building to be preserved.

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© Minnesota Historical Society
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A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Crookston, Minnesota. Crookston Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Come Up At Council.” Crookston Weekly Times, February 16, 1907.

“Council Discusses Old City Hall’s Prospects.” Crookston Daily Times, September 8, 1977.

“First National Bank to Erect New Building; City Hall to Occupy Present Bank Structure.” Crookston Daily Times, October 17, 1974.

Gray, Kristina M. Images of America: Crookston. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2013.

“Old City Hall’s Fate ‘On Line’ Tonight, Bids to be Taken.” Crookston Daily Times, July 24, 1979.

“Old City Hall on the Auction Block Tonight.” Crookston Daily Times, September 26, 1979.

“Repairs to City Hall.” Crookston Weekly Times, September 9, 1905.

“The City Hall: The Council Authorizes Architect to Draw Specifications for the New Building.” Crookston Weekly Times, July 23, 1898.

“The Cornerstone: A Successful Dedication of the New City Building.” Crookston Weekly Times, October 1, 1898.

“The Council Adopts Plan.” Crookston Weekly Times, March 23, 1907.

“The New City Hall: A Magnificent Piece of Architecture and Conveniently Arranged for the Transaction of the City’s Business.” Polk County Journal, December 21, 1899.

“What Do You Do With Run-Down City Hall?” Crookston Daily Times, April 11, 1979.

Related Images

Postcard of Crookston’s city hall, ca. 1915.
Postcard of Crookston’s city hall, ca. 1915.
Black and white photograph of City hall at the corner of Broadway and Fletcher Streets, Crookston, 1914.
Black and white photograph of City hall at the corner of Broadway and Fletcher Streets, Crookston, 1914.
Drawing of Crookston’s city hall as depicted in the “Souvenir Art Album 1874–1910.”
Drawing of Crookston’s city hall as depicted in the “Souvenir Art Album 1874–1910.”
Black and white photograph of Crookston City hall, 1906.
Black and white photograph of Crookston City hall, 1906.
Black and white photograph of Crookston firefighters after a fire on December 27, 1904.
Black and white photograph of Crookston firefighters after a fire on December 27, 1904.
Color image of a badge worn by Fire Chief Tom Morris at the Firemen’s Convention held at Crookston city hall, 1901.
Color image of a badge worn by Fire Chief Tom Morris at the Firemen’s Convention held at Crookston city hall, 1901.
Log of court activities in the city hall building, October 3, 1905.
Log of court activities in the city hall building, October 3, 1905.
Log of court activities in the city hall building, October 3, 1905.
Log of court activities in the city hall building, October 3, 1905.
Log showing court activities in city hall, September 11, 1909.
Log showing court activities in city hall, September 11, 1909.
Black and white photograph of Broadway in Crookston, ca. 1950s.
Black and white photograph of Broadway in Crookston, ca. 1950s.
Color image of City hall at corner, looking north on Broadway, Crookston, October 2016.
Color image of City hall at corner, looking north on Broadway, Crookston, October 2016.
Color image of City hall, October 2016.
Color image of City hall, October 2016.
Color image of Crookston city hall, October 2016.
Color image of Crookston city hall, October 2016.
Color image of a jail cell in Crookston city hall, November 2016.
Color image of a jail cell in Crookston city hall, November 2016.
Color image of CFD etching marks the area where the fire department was housed, Crookston city hall, 2016.
Color image of CFD etching marks the area where the fire department was housed, Crookston city hall, 2016.
Color image of a light post as part of décor in gift shop in old city hall, November 2016.
Color image of a light post as part of décor in gift shop in old city hall, November 2016.
Color image of a metal ceiling in city chambers, second floor of Crookston city hall, 2016.
Color image of a metal ceiling in city chambers, second floor of Crookston city hall, 2016.
Color image of Sullivanesque floral designs outside city hall, 2016.
Color image of Sullivanesque floral designs outside city hall, 2016.
Color image of the owners of gift shop in old Crookston city hall, December 2016.
Color image of the owners of gift shop in old Crookston city hall, December 2016.
Color image of Christmas decorations in Willow and Ivy Gift Shop in Crookston city hall, 2016.
Color image of Christmas decorations in Willow and Ivy Gift Shop in Crookston city hall, 2016.

Turning Point

In 1905, the Crookston City Council approves a renovation to repair structural damage rather than demolish the building. Since that time, the building has remained structurally strong and has been used by the city and by business enterprises, which have further saved the building from destruction.

Chronology

June 1898

The City of Crookston decides to buy the lot on the corner of South Broadway and Fletcher Streets for the purpose of building a city hall.

July 1898

The city council authorizes architect Emil H. Strassburger to draw plans for the building, which would house the city offices, fire department, and police department.

October 1898

A cornerstone is laid for a new city hall.

December 21, 1899

The new city hall is described in detail in the Polk County Journal.

June 1901

A State Firemen’s Convention is held in Crookston.

September 1905

The city hires architect Bert D. Keck to draw plans for the renovation of city hall.

March 1907

The city council adopts Keck’s renovation plans.

1970

The fire department moves out of the building.

1977

The police department moves out of the building.

1979

The city offices move out of the building.

1979

Eickof Construction buys the old city hall building. The bell tower and pyramidal roof are removed.

2006

Larry and Ellen Leake purchase the building and open a gift shop, Willow and Ivy.