A handsome ten-story office building at the corner of Second Av. S. and Fourth St. It is one of the most striking buildings in the city. The exterior is of white enameled brick with white terra-cotta trimmings, the design simple and al- most severely plain, but dignified and in excellent taste. There is a frontage of 152 feet on Second Av. and 132 feet on Fourth St., and on the longer front are the en- trances, which admit to the main lobby, elevators and stairways. Immediately beyond is the lobby of the Scandinavian- American National Bank, which occupies most of the ground floor. This lobby is 50 by 70 feet and is surrounded by the bank offices and is lighted by twelve large skylights directly under the central court of the building. These banking rooms are perhaps the most beautiful in the northwest. Marble, bronze and delicately tinted and decorated panels and richly colored glass combined in the most refined taste give very rich effects. The tone is classical although much of the decoration is of modern type. Every detail of banking equipment is worked out in the most practical way. The remainder of the building is devoted to general office purposes. There are about 35 offices on each floor, all having outdoor light and finished in the most sumptuous manner. The building is constructed after the latest ideas in fireproof architecture, concrete, steel, brick and tile being almost the only materials used. There are five plunger elevators. The building was erected in 1905-6.
-Hudson’s Dictionary of Minneapolis and Vicinity
A Handbook for Strangers and Residents
The Hudson Publishing Company, 1918
