Have you ever noticed the St Paul Building? It stands tall and proud at the corner of Fifth and Wabasha Streets, a testament to the city’s rich history. The building was originally home to the Germania Bank. It opened its doors in 1889, a time when St. Paul was booming. It was a grand structure and one of the tallest buildings in the city. It was designed by J. Walter Stevens, an architect who was quite successful in St. Paul. The building features an impressive mix of Richardsonian Romanesque and Italian Renaissance Revival styles, with its red Lake Superior sandstone facade and ornate details.
However, the bank’s success was short-lived. Just ten years after opening its doors, the Germania Bank was forced to liquidate after a run on its accounts. The building was sold and renamed several times over the years, becoming the Ernst Building, then the Pittsburgh Building. The name “St. Paul Building” was adopted in 1934. Over the years, the building has housed a variety of tenants, including doctors, dentists, lawyers, and even a dressmaker. It even briefly served as the home of F. Scott Fitzgerald. In the winter of 1921, Fitzgerald rented a writing room in the building, hiding from the world so that he could write undisturbed. While he was there, he wrote the short stories that would eventually evolve into The Great Gatsby.
In 1977, the St. Paul Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its local architectural significance as St. Paul’s only surviving high-rise built of brownstone — a tribute to the vision of the city’s early builders. Visit the St Paul Building and imagine the stories it holds, from its grand banking days to the whispers of Fitzgerald. It is a reminder of the enduring character of this magnificent city.