Conley–Maass Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Maass and McAndrew Company Building
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The building in 2017
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 Location in Minnesota
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| Location | 12-14 Fourth Street, S.W., Rochester, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1900 |
| NRHP reference No. | 16000278 |
| Added to NRHP | May 24, 2016 |
The Conley–Maass–Downs Building is a really old and important building in Rochester, Minnesota. It's also known as the Maass and McAndrew Company Building. It's one of the oldest commercial buildings still standing in the city today.
Contents
A Look Back: The Building's History
This building was first built in the year 1900. A company called Rochester Woolen Mill Co. built it. They used the building to make pants from wool fabric. But in 1903, the woolen mill company went out of business.
From Wool to Cameras
In 1904, a new company bought the factory. This was the Conley Camera Company. It was started by two brothers, Kerry Conley and Fred Conley. Their company and the building were even shown in the famous 1908 Sears catalog! The Conley company stayed in the building until 1909. Then, they moved to a bigger place in Rochester.
Plumbing and Beyond
In 1910, Maass & McAndrew Plumbing and Heating bought the building. They used it for their business until 1955. This company did a lot of work for the Mayo Clinic. One of the family members, Frederic Maass, even helped design the famous Plummer Building at Mayo Clinic. He later became the Chief Engineer there.
A Home for Many Groups
Over the years, many different groups have used this building. It has been home to clubs like the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Loyal Order of Moose. The The Salvation Army also used it. Later, it became a place for arts, housing the Rochester Ballet School, Masque Theatre, and Words Players.
Modern Restoration
In 2016, new owners named Hunter and Traci Downs bought the building. They spent about $2.2 million to fix it up! Now, the main floor has a restaurant called The Bleu Duck. The upper floors are used for office spaces.
