Nicollet Hall
Okay, this wasn’t really called Nicollet Hall, but I had to call it something. It was located in a building at 723-729 Nicollet Ave., across from Dayton’s Department Store. There was apparently a hotel there in 1889, but the 66 ft. by 122 ft. brick store building was erected in 1900 for $35,000. I’ve yet to discover if there was a name for the building.
There were three stories, with a “hall” on one of the top two. Many thanks to Noel Mertz, who found the photo below. The building in question is the one hosting Mary Jane Shoes, best as I can tell.
1958 Photo courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
The hall was known by many names over the years, including:
- McElroy’s Hall (1905 – 1912) – more of a venue for meetings and private dances, etc.
- Mrs. Beck’s Dreamland (December 1912). This was a dancehall by the looks of it, but Mrs. Beck was a dance teacher, specializing in Stage Dancing:
- Buck and Wing
- Waltz
- Clog Lancer
- Clog Schottische
- Grotesque
- Fancing Dancing
- (Williams’) 8th and Nicollet Hall (1920 – 1921)
- The New Nicollet Danceland (February 1924)
- Fairyland Ballroom (November 1924 – S.H. Kahm, permit holder)
The building was demolished in 1969, and the IDS Tower, built in 1972, sits in the spot today.