MTFCA Forum

In St Paul Mionnesota was an historic building built in 1912 by the Ford Co. Model T Fords were built here. An effort was made to save the building, but the city wanted it down.

Are there any period photos of it in action? we could pay tribute to its former self.
Bryant

Bryant wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 06, 2024 1:49 pm

Are there any period photos of it in action? we could pay tribute to its former self.
Bryant

Here you go

Sure look like a nice building from the outside! I wonder why they tore it down.

Minneapolis resident here:

In my opinion, it wasn't about the money.

Also, it was not neglected or in disrepair.

It was torn down because it has been owned by the State of Minnesota for over 70 years (it was used for office space until 2004 and has been vacant for the last twenty years).

If it had been in private hands, it would not have been torn down. It would have been repurposed into loft style condos or incorporated into a larger development, etc.

If you google Ford University Ave St Paul, you can read a number of articles on the building including preservation efforts.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ford+un ... e&ie=UTF-8

I do know that the facade around the main entrance was saved. I got a bid invite for the project and that was made very clear.

Erik Johnson wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 06, 2024 8:17 pm

Minneapolis resident here:

In my opinion, it wasn't about the money.

Also, it was not neglected or in disrepair.

It was torn down because it has been owned by the State of Minnesota since the early 1970s (it was used for office space until 2004 and has been for the last twenty years).

If it had been in private hands, it would not have been torn down. It would have been repurposed into loft style condos or incorporated into a larger development, etc.

If you google Ford University Ave St Paul, you can read a number of articles on the building including preservation efforts.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ford+un ... e&ie=UTF-8

Thanks for that info Erik. As a former facilities director I'm glad to hear it wasn't in disrepair, but equally if not more saddened then that it was just torn down "because state politico wanted to". What a waste. I agree, my first thoughts was what a great set of loft apartments that would've made. What a horrible shame. Such is life I guess.

In St. Louis, the old Ford assembly plant was converted to lofts.

https://www.paric.com/project/west-end-lofts/

That is like destroying pictures, documents and memorabilia of deceased family members that tell the story of one’s family. Ford should have bought the building and moved it to Greenfield Village since it was such a big part of the Ford story. They could have recreated how it looked and how the assembly process operated with period Model T’s in various stages of assembly at the correct point of the assembly in the building with the original tools and equipment, when it was used to manufacture the first Ford cars in the early 20h century. I’ll bet it would have been one of the most popular attractions there. Jim Patrick

Note: I edited my original post. The building/property has been owned by the State of Minnesota for over 70 years (since 1952), not since the 1970s as I originally posted.

Here's an excellent editorial from 2019 by author and historian Brian McMahon regarding preserving the recently torn down University Ave. assembly plant in St. Paul. (He wrote a book regarding the history of the Ford assembly plants in Minnesota.)
https://www.twincities.com/2019/03/14/b ... n-st-paul/

Period photos of the interior and exterior of the University Ave assembly plant:
https://fordlegacymn.com/st-paul-ford-p ... rsity-ave/

Brian's book:
https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-divisio ... -minnesota
https://www.amazon.com/Ford-Century-Min ... 0816637199

Here's a documentary produced by Twin Cities Public television about the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Highland Park in St. Paul. It also covers the earlier assembly in Minneapolis (which still exists) and the smaller, St. Paul plant that was just torn down.
https://www.tpt.org/made-in-st-paul-sto ... d-plant-2/

Here are a few pictures of construction in 1913-14.

Here are a few more:

Anyone that wants to see one the Fargo building is still standing.

Most commercial buildings of that period were extremely well-built. There was an abandoned factory along the Charles River - I believe that it was actually in Watertown, MA - that as I recall made sneakers. The powers that be decided that they wanted it demolished. The demolition contractor started with a wrecking ball and crane, and got nowhere except to break most of the windows and generally make a mess. They then decided that explosives were the way to go and loaded the building with dynamite and (figuratively) lit the match. What this accomplished was to blow out any windows that the wrecking ball had not destroyed, and crack the concrete in several places. Finally they went for the big bang, and stuffed the building with about twice as much explosive as would normally be required. When this was detonated most of the building came down. The demolition contractor later said that if he knew how well the building was constructed, he would not have become involved with it's destruction.

Thanks for sharing all the history and all the photos, kind of a bittersweet read. Here's a somewhat related link with history and photos of the 10 story Ford Assembly Plant in Minneapolis. https://northloop.org/about/history/loo ... en-opened/

Geezzzzz,,, hope I can get this posted before the thread blows itself up,,,jb

So How many Ford Related structures are still stand and being adapted to preserve them?

Been Here Before wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:54 am

So How many Ford Related structures are still stand and being adapted to preserve them?

I drove to the site of the San Francisco branch (which used to be quite close) , it was ruined during the 1989 Loma Prieta quake... they saved the face of it but razed 99% of the building (honestly, it really was scary dangerous after the quake), and made it into a community center... I was hoping for more, but at least, we know where it was, and (for me) where my car came from....

Sometimes its the little things that are so important to connect us. Were I a millionaire pre '89 and could have bought toe Ford Branch in SF, I would have, not out of some profit thing, but because some things are worth saving.

Saying that - the education center now in its place have helped educate immigrants and the lost to our great nation... so in a very real way HF;s legacy to bring people to the American Dream is ALIVE AND WELL....

Getting things back on track…..I’m a little embarrassed by the modernity of my hometown 1926 dealership built Ford house in Lockhart TX. See the script in stone above the door. For a low 7 figure $$ number you can have a place to store your T fleet, large work area and 6 offices.

Thank you for that Steve.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!! I thought this post was about a building.

The Ford building in Milwaukee is still there. I think it was turned into a medical building. Now there is a lot of glass and metal all over it, but you can still see the real thing from the back and side.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0579411 ... ?entry=ttu

From THF Archives, jb
https://www.thehenryford.org/collection ... act/290622

I must be missing something here. I didn't see anything political in Susanne's post, and I agree with Steve.

I guess I was correct….SOTU - news at 11…

^What Michael said.^
I also believe it MAY have been silly to rip that building down but the state has different views. $$
Uhh, call me anything you wish but I cannot find where it says "aliens" were living there...
Off the rails completely.
I already typed too much but I understand better.
I'm not able to express my view. Nor should some of you.

Just checked this out from the library, https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-divisio ... -minnesota Fantastic read, loads of Ford history and many old photographs. jb