National Register of Historic Places

Blair Flats

St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Listed
July 17, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75001006

About this property

Blair Flats, also known as the Blair Arcade Building, is a Victorian residential building designed by Hermann Kretz and William H. Thomas in 1887, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. The building is located on the intersection of Western and Selby Avenues. It is also a contributing property to the Historic Hill District. Construction materials are sandstone and brick. The building has been used as apartments, hotel, and condominiums. From 2006 to 2012 the lower level of the building housed Common Good Books, an independent bookstore owned by Garrison Keillor.

Location

165 Western Ave.
St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
44.94641, -93.11620

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Blair Flats

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

St. Joseph's Academy
Industrial
0.2 mi
Luckert, David, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
St. Paul Cathedral-Catholic
Industrial
0.4 mi
Woodland Park District
Pre Contact
0.4 mi
Hill, James J., House
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Blair Flats listed on the National Register?

Blair Flats was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Blair Flats?

Blair Flats is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Blair Flats?

The period of significance for Blair Flats is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Blair Flats?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Blair Flats will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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