Day Block Building
Day Block Building, Minneapolis
The Day Block Building is a historic building located in the Mill City District of Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota at 1101 Washington Ave S [1] The property was built in 1883 by a man named Leonard Day[2], a local businessman of the lumber and flour milling trade, who settled in Minneapolis in the year 1851. Between 1880 and 1930, the city of Minneapolis led the world's flour production which, thus, coined their milling district "Mill City", a name still used today [3]
It is unknown what the purpose the building served until the building became occupied by Peter O Melby, otherwise known as P.O. Melby, used the basement and ground level of the property for his furniture-making business, as well as his undertaking services. During this time, the second and third levels of the building were used as a hospital which specialized in treating injuries and illnesses of mill and lumber workers who resided in the local area. This was an attractive proposition for these workers because they were said to have been offered a $10 per year health plan to receive medical treatment.
Throughout the mid 1900s, the building was occupied by a variety of different tenants. Frank's Plumbing occupied the building and operated their business in the location beginning in the early 1940s. The second and third levels were also purposed as a local boarding house; a place where individuals would rent a room by the week and live in the building's quarters. The Day Block Building was also home to Oken Brothers, a local grocery supply store serving nearby residents and mill workers.
In April 2005, the Day Block Building was purchased by Jeff Hahn who spent the next year or two restoring the building to its youth while retaining its old-fashioned character. The third level space became home to Hahn's local web design and internet marketing firm, Internet Exposure, in 1995. The business is still in operation today. In 2009, the Day Block Event Center, a local event venue, opened for business on the building's second level. It quickly became a popular spot for weddings, parties and corporate events in the Downtown Minneapolis area. The event venue is still in operation today. Finally, in January of 2014, Day Block Brewing (located on the building's ground level) opened to the public as a local brew pub, brewing its own beer and serving its own food. [4]
Today, the Day Block Building is located in the epicenter of the Downtown Minneapolis East neighborhood, near the former site of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the Mill City Museum.
Notes
References
- Growler Magazine. Now Open. 2014.
- Ancestry.com Leonard Day.
- Mill City District Mill City District.
- Minnesota Historical Society Oken Brothers Building
- Minnesota Historical Society Frank's Plumbing Building