This Vacant Building was the Largest Department Store in Minneapolis, MN

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The Dayton's Department Store building is located at 700 Nicollet Mall (historically 700 Nicollet Avenue) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Dayton Corporation is a leading Minneapolis company that had a profound impact on Minnesota's retail landscape in the twentieth century. From its innovative sales and marketing techniques to revolutionizing discount shopping, the Dayton Corporation changed the way that Minnesotans shopped. The downtown Minneapolis location was the company's first store, its flagship store, and its corporate headquarters.

From 1903 through the 1960s, the Dayton Corporation would respond to changing market conditions, suburbanization, and consumer demands in ways that changed the retail landscape in Minneapolis-and the country. From their corporate offices on the upper floors of the flagship store at Seventh Street South and Nicollet Avenue, the Daytons would expand their family's company from a local dry goods retailer to a forward-thinking retail innovator. The Dayton Corporation revolutionized discount shopping in 1962 with the launch of Target; and they kept their department store empire locally-owned long after regional competitors were taken over by national chains.

Dry Goods and Department Stores

When George Draper Dayton began buying real estate on Minneapolis's Nicollet Avenue, the street had long been the home of Minneapolis's leading retailing houses. George W. Hale & Co., which had initially opened a dry goods store on Washington Avenue in 1867, moved to the corner of Nicollet Avenue and Third Street in 1872-and to Nicollet and Fifth Street by 1890. Goodfellow & Eastman, later R.S. Goodfellow & Co., established a dry goods store at Nicollet avenue between Washington and Third street. The city's first department store was opened by S.G. See at Ninth and Nicollet in 1875; it was followed by William Donaldson's larger and more successful "Glass Block" at Sixth Street and Nicollet in 1884 (not extant).

Dry goods stores carried "muslins, calicoes, silks and satins, black goods for mourning, velvets, worsted goods, and laces, as well as embroidery and edging, linings, and notions," and many also carried rugs, furniture, and drapery. Women seeking to dress themselves and their homes were the primary shoppers at dry goods stores, as ready-to-wear clothing was relatively inaccessible to many shoppers in the late nineteenth century and would not exceed fabric sales until the 1920s.

Department stores differed from dry goods stores in volume of goods sold, set prices, departmentalization, and amenities. The department store was invented in Paris at Le Bon Marche, a dry goods store that dramatically altered its marketing plan in 1852 to include fixed prices, enhanced customer service policies, and a greater variety of merchandise with a higher turn-over rate. In September of 1869, the cornerstone for a new Le Bon Marche was laid, the new building was to be the first "store … constructed that was formally conceived and systematically designed to house a grand magasin." At the new Le Bon Marche, customers were encouraged to browse, could have purchases delivered to their homes, and could attend concerts and salons in the store. In the United States, the first department store was established in New York City by A.T. Stewart. As at Le Bon Marche, Stewart expanded his dry goods store into a large retail emporium through "the one-price system, rapid stock turn, and departmentalized organization of goods." Department stores became social gathering places where "white middle-class women could stop in to relax, browse without buying, and socialize." Throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, department stores would increasingly add amenities and services, such as salons, tea rooms, restaurants, and sumptuous restrooms and lounges, designed to keep shoppers in the store.

George Draper Dayton

While department stores were developing in large European and American cities, George Draper Dayton was working for a friend of his father's in his hometown of Geneva, New York. The Panic of 1873 kept Dayton from attending college, but his father, David Day Dayton, arranged for him to work for family friend George McMillan at his tree nursery in order for young "Georgie," as his father called him, to gain business experience. Dayton was to be paid $800 for the year, plus room and board and a commission on his sales. Dayton earned more money than McMillan could afford to pay, which resulted in Dayton acquiring McMillian's coal and lumberyard. Within a year, Dayton was $7000 in debt and suffering from exhaustion. His father was able to sell the coal and lumberyard for a profit while Dayton recovered at the family home in Geneva.

Dayton went on to work for another family friend, John Mckay, who owned lumberyards and sawmills. While Dayton managed Mckay's Seneca, New York business office, a number of wealthy residents of Geneva purchased Minnesota real estate and bonds from Thomas Parsons, a Worthington, Minnesota-based booster. When Parsons proved difficult to reach, the investors called upon young George Dayton to travel to Minnesota to "appraise the situation firsthand." Dayton advised the investors to place an agent in Minnesota, and volunteered for the job.

In 1883, Dayton left Geneva and relocated to Worthington, Minnesota. He purchased the Bank of Worthington, which specialized in real estate loans, helping "thrifty, energetic young men, who, with a moderate amount of capital, will come and till the rich farming lands," secure property. The year after he arrived in Worthington, Dayton incorporated the Minnesota Loan and Investment Company, which had capital stock of $100,000 and authorized capital of $1.000,000. In 1887 the Minnesota Loan & Investment Company purchased 110 acres in the Clary Addition of the Village of Worthington and began advertising residential lots for sale. By 1889, Dayton had developed a reputation as "a capitalist widely known and respected throughout southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa and a tower of strength to any institution bearing his name." After successfully developing real estate in southern Minnesota, Dayton turned his eyes to Minneapolis.

"Mr. Dayton Buys Again"

According to an 1892 article in the Minneapolis Tribune, the corner of Sixth Street and Nicollet Avenue had "been an eyesore for a good many years," when George Dayton purchased the let for $121,000 in cash. Regarding the purchase, Dayton was quoted as saying, "There is a general impression that an eight-story building should go there … but it is impossible for me to say just what will be done with the lot, except that it will be improved. I am told that the property is very desirable, and am pretty well satisfied with it." Dayton did build an eight-story building, known as the "Dayton Block," to lease to physicians and surgeons. After the completion of the Dayton Block, Dayton continued to acquire land in Minneapolis, and on Nicollet Avenue in particular. In 1893, he "bought and filed for a record of deed to the Grimes corner, 95 feet front on Nicollet Avenue and 140 feet on Seventeenth Street." Local newspapers tracked Dayton's property acquisition with great interest; articles that focused on his purchase of Minneapolis real estate regularly described Dayton as a "non-resident" of Minneapolis. One such article argued that "people who have the least faith in Minneapolis realty, as a rule, seems to be those who live in Minneapolis; non-residents appear to be more favorably impressed with the future of the city and the prospects for growth, and the changes for profit in real estate investment … ". In 1896 Dayton again invested in the City of Minneapolis, when he purchased the lot that would become home to the department store that bore his name.

From 1883 to 1896, 700 Nicollet Avenue, at the corner of Nicollet Avenue and Seventh Street South, had been home to Westminster Presbyterian Church. At 2:25am on September 6^th, 1895, the Minneapolis Fire Department was called to the church to combat a fire. When the fire fighters arrived, flames were shooting "out of the cupola … fire already had a good hold on the churches [sic] cockloft. Crews … attempted an interior attack … but were driven out by heat and smoke shortly before a ceiling collapse filled the entire sanctuary with flame. The stone church burned to a shell by dawn." The congregation and church leadership considered rebuilding on the same site, but faced a pair of significant obstacles. First, the size of the congregation had long exceeded the capacity of the church building and people spent years on waiting lists to secure a pew. Due to the size of the site, a larger church could not be constructed at 700 Nicollet Avenue. Second, business leaders, many of whom attended Westminster Presbyterian and had commercial interests on Nicollet, voiced concerns that rebuilding the church on its former site would "drive business from the avenue". As a result, Westminster Presbyterian sold the parcel to George Dayton for "$165,000, of which $25,000 [was] to be paid in cash, $92,500 in two short-time payments, and the balance in the form of … property and several vacant lots located in another part of the city," and constructed a new church at Nicollet Avenue and Twelfth Street.

There was a great deal of interest in Dayton's intent for the site-and for the city. According to an article in the Minneapolis Journal, the purchase of the Westminster Presbyterian site made Dayton's total investment in Minneapolis $700,000. The article went on to say:

Suggestions wore offered-the Journal reported that "Mr. Dayton [had been] approached by various parties with reference to a store building suitable for retail purposes" to be built on the site. However, several years passed before Dayton developed the corner at Seventh and Nicollet. In the meantime, he continued to engage in real estate speculation. In 1900, he acquired

It was reported that initial plans for the site were focused on the construction of a hotel. According to a February 1961 article in the Minneapolis Journal

Construction costs for the hotel were estimated at $500,000, but because the parcel was located outside of the city's patrol limits, the hotel bar would not be allowed to serve alcohol, a condition which killed the project.

While the Journal was focused on the development of the Seventh Street South and Nicollet Avenue corer, at the end of February, 1901, an article detailed another of Dayton's real estate transactions. Dayton sold the Dayton Block at Sixth and Nicollet to former Governor John S. Pillsbury for $350,000. Pillsbury provided $200,000 in cash and 80 unimproved lots in the John T. Blaisdell revised addition, between Nicollet and Pleasant avenues and Franklin avenue and Twenty-fifth Street. Dayton would construct a large home on Blaisdell Avenue and move his family from Worthington to Minneapolis.

It is likely that Dayton sold the Dayton Block to raise capital, as the same month he announced that he would be constructing a business block at 816-18 Nicollet Avenue. The three story brick and terra cotta building was designed by Charles S. Sedgwick and it was anticipated that construction would be complete by May 1^st, 1901.

Throughout 1901 Dayton purchased additional lots on Nicollet Avenue, including the lot and building at 715 Nicollet Avenue from the Farmers and Merchants Savings Bank. The property was described as follows, "The building is an old and very plain three story brick structure, which, while substantial and commodious, has long been an eyesore to upper Nicollet." He also purchased "fifty-two feet on Nicollet Avenue, Nos. 911-13-15 for $30,000 cash" and "the old See's Department Store corner on Ninth street and erected a three-story brick building."

1901 also brought the announcement that business interests on Nicollet had long been waiting for, plans were being prepared for the corner of Seventh and Nicollet.

Goodfellow's and Dayton's Daylight Store

In the winter of 1901, Dayton hired Charles Sedgwick to prepare plans

Rather than five stories of mercantile space, Dayton sought six, which required him to present his project to the City Council, as the parcel was located within fire patrol limits and the proposed construction exceeded height restrictions. Dayton requested a "special permit to erect a six-story building of slow burning construction" rather than the required fireproof construction for buildings over five stories. The City granted the permit.

Construction took place through the summer, fall, and winter of 1901 and spring of 1902, during which time Dayton sought tenants to fill his retail block. He convinced J.B. Mosher and George Loudon, the owners of Goodfellow's Dry Goods, to move their store to the new building. As part of the negotiation, Dayton, who did not have any retail experience, became a silent partner in the dry goods store. In addition to Goodfellow's, other tenants in the building included a jeweler, a drug store, a furrier, and a Japanese Store.

The six-story building opened on June 2^nd, 1902. Goodfellow's held a grand opening event on June 24th. According to press coverage of the opening,

In addition to Dayton, Mosher, and Loudon, George Dayton's eldest son, D. Draper Dayton joined the firm.

Goodfellow's doubled its sales in its first year of business, at the cost of heavy investments in advertising and inventory in an effort to compete with the city's largest and most popular department store, L.S. Donaldson and Company, whose "Glass Block" store was located one block from the new Goodfellow's location. During the first year of operation, Dayton bought out George Loudon. By the spring of 1903, he also acquired J.B. Mosher's shares. Dayton's role in the retail organization was no longer silent and an announcement in the May 18^th, 1903 issue of the Minneapolis Journal reflected the change with the proclamation: "Tonight Goodfellow's-Monday (The Daylight Store) Dayton's"

Dayton's Department Store - The George Draper Dayton Years

Under Dayton's leadership, the store began to revolutionize the retail industry in Minneapolis. Dayton offered a "cooperative system, by which employees [were] allowed to purchase a certain amount of stock," free lunches and entertainment were offered during large sales, and the store offered parcel delivery. In comparison, Dayton's biggest competitor, Donaldson's, would not begin to offer a profit sharing or stock program to employees until 1911, when it "announced that a profit-sharing plan [was] being formulated, under which, in the ensuing years, department heads will be given opportunity by efficient management to bring accruing benefits to themselves," whereas Dayton's offered stock options to all employees.

The store expanded its offerings by leasing retail counters and departments to outside companies, "including Merkham Trading Company's hair-curler parlor, Emma Read's drawing supplies, Mrs. Gertrude Stanton's optical service and, in the basement of the building, W.B. Sayre's hardware, china and glassware," as well as a piano department and a dress salon. In 1904, Dayton, with Harrington Beard, opened an art gallery on the building's fourth floor and added a tea room, smoking room, and banquet facilities to keep customers in the store and to compete with Donaldson's, which had well-known tea rooms on its fourth floor.

As George and Draper continued to expand the store's amenities-including a soda counter and candy department in the basement level, it became necessary for the Dayton Dry Goods Store to take over the entire building. In 1907, the Daytons added the "Bargain Basement" to the store, offering "women's coats, suits and dresses, along with linens, corsets, millinery, jewelry, underwear, notions, and laces" at a lower price-point for budget-conscious consumers.

As the twentieth century was poised io enter its second decade, the Daytons expanded the store toward Eighth Street East through the construction of an "annex" designed by the prominent Minneapolis architecture firm of Long, Lamoreaux and Long; the store also leased the neighboring Narragansett Block. George Dayton's younger son, Nelson, joined the company and the store changed its name to "The Dayton Company." The expansion was necessitated by the company's growing distribution, as it offered catalogue services as well in-store shopping.

Starting in 1919, the Dayton Company used airplanes to deliver goods to out-of-state customers and in 1920 made national headlines when it hired two de Havilland planes to fly merchandise from New York to Minneapolis in the "longest commercial flight on record."

The store was poised for continued growth-with building expansions in 1912, 1915 and 1916, when a fire struck the Narragansett Block at Eighth and Nicollet, where Dayton's shoe and silk departments were housed. The building was destroyed and firefighting efforts left the basement of the main store filled with 11 feet of water." The store had to close for ten days to manage cleanup. All employees were paid in full for the days that the store was closed and the company held a big sale on merchandise that was exposed to smoke.

Following the fire, the Dayton Company again worked with Long, Lamoreaux and Long on the design of a new addition. The new structure had two levels below ground and the first two stories above ground were "of granite so that the company [had] a continuous building of similar construction on Eighth street where a new section to the store was built" in 1916.

Throughout the 1920s, the Dayton Company continued to expand its service offerings in an effort Lo attract customers and keep them in the store longer. The store included the Looking Glass Beauty Parlor, a new men's department, and the introduction of customer payment plans. A parking garage on Eighth Street was added in 1928 and in 1929 the Dayton Company acquired J.B. Hudson & Son, a well-known local jeweler, and built an elegant showroom for the jeweler on the first floor at the corner of Eighth Street South and Nicollet Avenue.

The 1920s brought many opportunities for celebration-the store celebrated its 20^th anniversary in 1922 with its first "Jubilee Sale" and the Dayton Company finally surpassed its biggest rival, Donaldson's, in annual sales.

Donaldson's had continued to grow throughout the early decades of the twentieth century. In 1913, as Dayton's was planning its annex expansion, Donaldson's acquired "control of the entire block bounded by Sixth and Seventh Streets, and Nicollet and Marquette Avenues," making it the "first department store in Minneapolis to achieve that distinction." In December of 1928, Joseph Chapman, president of the L.S. Donaldson Co., announced the "merger of the L.S. Donaldson Co. of Minneapolis with other companies owning 28 department stores, together forming a nation-wide system." The merger, which also included the Minneapolis-based Powers Department Store and the Saint Paul-based Golden Rule department store, was announced on the front page of the Minneapolis Morning Tribune. All three companies were acquired by the newly organized Hahn Department Stores, Inc.

Hahn Department Stores, Inc. was the brainchild of Lew Hahn, the former director of the : National Retail Dry Goods association, who "created [it] as a holding company for the purpose of acquiring and operating large, well-known department stores through the United States." In early 1929 Hahn acquired twenty-two stores, including "Jordan Marsh of Boston, L.S. Donaldson of Minneapolis, and the Bon Marche of Seattle," all companies that had "annual sales between $1 million and $10 million."

Under Hahn, Donaldson's continued to operate under its own name, and the management owned "a substantial amount of the common stock of Hahn Department Stores, Inc.," but the store was part of a much larger national store system.

While Dayton's continued to grow and thrive throughout the 1920s, the decade also saw heartaches. When Draper Dayton died unexpectedly in 1923, George considered closing the store, and in October of 1929, the stock market crashed and the country sank into the Great Depression.

The Dayton Company was able to weather the Depression by paying for merchandise upfront to avoid interest and buying in bulk in an effort to pass savings on to customers. The Dayton Company continued to acquire land around the store site and in March of 1936 the company announced that it would be expanding the store once again and that when construction was complete, the Dayton Company would control the entire block of Nicollet Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets. In order to finance the construction, the company obtained a mortgage for $1,500,000, one of the largest ever filed on Minneapolis property. The Daytons worked with the Minneapolis architecture firm of Larsen & McLaren to design the expansion, which included a "new building … of ornamental brick and buff stone of the same design as the three floors … on the Eighth street corner and the garage building at the corner of Eighth street." Additional improvements included air conditioning throughout the building, expansion of seventh floor offices, and the expansion of J.B. Hudson to the second floor. As the expansions neared completion, George Draper Dayton died at the age of 81.

In 1945, the Daytons expanded their store again, raising all but the original store to twelve stories. In order to move customers through the large store, escalators were added first from the main floor to the fourth floor and then between the fourth and seventh floors. In 1946, the Oval Room was established and sold couture fashion to women of means. Shoppers could look over the city when they dined in the 12^th floor Sky Room restaurant and husbands could wait for their wives while dining in the men's only Oak Grill.

Dayton's Department Store at Midcentury

The loss of George Draper Dayton was felt throughout both the store and the City of Minneapolis. Dayton and his wife, Emma (who had passed away in 1931), were generous philanthropists and, through their Dayton Foundation, had donated money to a number of local organizations. At the store, Nelson Dayton's sons stepped in to help guide the company through the second half of the twentieth century. By the end of the 1940s, all five of Nelson's sons; Donald, Bruce, Wallace, Kenneth, and Douglas-had active roles in the company. The third generation of Daytons would respond to changing market conditions, suburbanization, and consumer demands in ways that changed the retail landscape in Minneapolis-and the state.

The history of the Dayton Company at midcentury is a microcosm of the transformation of retail during the postwar era. Dayton's Department Store was more than illustrative of these trends, rather, the Dayton Company, headquartered on the upper floors of the downtown department store building, played an influential role in the rise of regional shopping centers and discount retailers.

By the turn of the twentieth century, much of the commercial activity in American cities took place "downtown," where a city's business district was located. By 1930, some business activities had begun to decentralize, moving to outlying commercial districts. Chain stores, which grew exponentially between the 1880s and 1920s, often located in these outlying districts. Department stores, previously gathered in the central business district, responded to chain store competition by planting some store branches in outlying areas. By the late 1930s and early 1940s, the decentralization of businesses had become a significant and visible threat to downtown's prominence as a retail center.

This trend would be strongly reinforced after World War II. During the late 1940s and 1950s, suburbanization and residential construction exploded, with millions moving to new homes in the suburbs. This boom was fueled by a housing shortage, a problem compounded by the return of overseas soldiers. A strong postwar economy that created greater purchasing power for members of the middle class, the increased mobility fostered by the automobile, and favorable federal government policies also contributed to the rise in suburban home ownership. Tn the Twin Cities, suburbanites accounted for only twelve percent of all metropolitan residents in 1940; by 1956, one out of every three metropolitan residents lived in the suburbs. While the population of St. Paul and Minneapolis proper increased by about one percent annually between 1940 and 1956, the suburbs experienced average growth rates of ten percent from 1940 to 1950, twelve percent between 1950 and 1954, and fifteen percent from 1954 to 1956.

Unsurprisingly, these postwar shifts in residential development and transportation caused decentralization of retail, as stores followed residents to the suburbs. Intertwined with this centrifugal movement was the ascendancy of a new retail configuration, the shopping center. Beginning in 1920, the term "shopping center" referred to a collection of businesses located in a complex owned by a single party, in which physical design and tenant selection were carefully managed to create a commercial outlet that catered to a specific audience. Smaller shopping centers, classified as neighborhood and community shopping centers (and often referred to as strip malls), first developed in the interwar years. Spurred on by the competitive value of combining off-street parking with an "integrated business structure," the shopping center, with its drive-in parking lot, was recognized as "a significant new trend in the field" by 1941. After World War II, the shortage of commercial development in newly developed outlying residential areas and the flexibility of existing zoning laws, combined with the advantages of "integrated business development," contributed to the type's ascendancy. Neighborhood and community shopping centers, characterized by unified facades and off-street parking, expanded in size and proliferated on the fringes of metropolitan areas.

In the mid- to late 1950s, these smaller shopping centers were overshadowed by the ascendancy of larger, regional shopping centers. According to architectural historian Richard Longstreth, "the major impetus for the regional mall's ascendency stemmed from shifts in the practices of department store companies," who by the early 1950s had found it advantageous to build branches within shopping centers rather than as isolated stores. A combination of changes in the federal tax code, cheap land on the outskirts of cities, loose government zoning restrictions, the federal government's subsidy of automobile travel through low gas taxes, and the creation of the federal highway system also played a role in the type's ascendency. In 1956 alone, twenty-five regional shopping centers were built in the U.S., more than doubling the number built between 1949 and 1955. Designed to compete with downtown, regional centers were able to offer their patrons greater convenience and amenities than downtown stores and were instrumental in shifting retail trade toward the suburbs. Their sudden rise in the late 1950s was accompanied by a change in the role of suburban retail, rather than following residents to outlying areas, suburban regional shopping centers became magnates for residential and other development. What is commonly understood as the world's first enclosed shopping center, Southdale, opened in Minnesota in 1956, symbolizing this new phase in shopping center development.

Another postwar innovation in retail was the rise of the discount store. The shortage of goods during World War II and the formation of new families by returning veterans, combined with postwar inflation, resulted in a strong demand for goods at low prices. Discount stores offered goods at those low prices in exchange for self-service and a no-frills store atmosphere. During the 1950s and early 1960s, new discount chains were established, and existing discount companies planted new stores. According to sociologist Sharon Zukin, "it is fair to say that from the fifties to the seventies, discount stores oiled the wheels of the postwar economic boom." Four major discount chains, Walmart, Kmart, Woolco, and Target, were founded in 1962. Zukin contends that "The discount stores founded in the 1960s, Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target, ushered in a new order of shopping. The size of these stores, their primary location outside of cities, and the scale of purchases they supplied raised shopping to a direct experience of mass consumer society. Both "discount stores and shopping malls organized a new landscape of consumption."

The state's first enclosed shopping center, Southdale, opened in Minnesota in 1956, symbolizing this new phase in shopping center development. According to urban geographer John S. Adams, "the full-flowering of the postwar auto-oriented shopping center occurred when Southdale mall opened in 1956, deep in the center of a superblock away from highway traffic and congested intersections and providing unlimited free parking. The first enclosed regional shopping center in Minnesota, Southdale had two levels and seventy-two stores, and was located in the southwestern suburb of Edina. In the Twin Cities, Southdale was followed by Brookdale, Rosedale, Ridgedale, and other enclosed regional centers, all anchored by a Dayton's Department Store. Unlike their earlier counterparts, these second-generation postwar shopping centers contained large parking lots and were located away from busy intersections. By 1976, there were eight major regional shopping centers located in Twin Cities suburbs.

In 1962, the Dayton Company opened its first Target Store, a discount store that was "a completely separate division of the Dayton Company." Even while the company was engaged. in suburban expansion and corporate diversification, the Dayton's flagship store at Seventh and Nicollet remained the company's highest profile store and its corporate headquarters. In 1958, the company constructed a new parking garage to serve the downtown Minneapolis store; the garage was expanded in 1963 to include two additional floors and an "exhibition hall," intended to host fashion shows, floral shows, and holiday displays. Parking expansions, such as those undertaken by the Daytons at midcentury, were intended to help downtown retailers compete with suburban shopping centers, where shoppers did not have to deal with traffic and parking congestion.

As the Dayton Company established suburban branch stores and continued to enter other retail markets through its Target stores and a bookstore chain, B. Dalton Booksellers, it mirrored national trends of retail shifts to suburban markets. As downtown retailers struggled to compete with suburban shopping centers, the Downtown Council of Minneapolis was formed, and Donald Dayton was one of its most vocal leaders. This public-private partnership was comprised of a conglomerate of 200 individuals from both private and public sectors and was the powerhouse for responding to the issues downtown was facing in light of suburbanization and decentralization. As Frederick Aschman, partner of the planning firm Barton-Aschman Associates commissioned for the revitalization, reflected, the Downtown Council of Minneapolis was formed in 1955 not to "save a declining area" but to expand, enhance, and conserve a strong asset. Minneapolis's proactive response was heralded in Fortune magazine:

Donald Dayton was the most pivotal businessperson behind-the-scenes throughout the design process. Dayton is credited with urging the City of Minneapolis to commission Lawrence Halprin & Associates, the nationally renowned urban design firm, for the Nicollet Mall project.

Of the project, Lawrence Halprin stated that:

Nicollet Mall was dedicated in 1967. While the Minneapolis location of Dayton's Department Store would continue to draw shoppers, particularly during the Christmas holiday, downtown department stores would struggle to compete with suburban shopping malls. Dayton's push for the development of Nicollet Mall represents a tipping point in downtown retail as it was completed at the same time that national experts were predicting that "downtown locations would decline as markets became predominately suburban", and as the "conventional department store [became] the regional department store chain." Dayton's followed the trend, expanding throughout Minnesota and into North Dakota and Wisconsin. After the 1960s, the company would not undertake another expansion campaign at its flagship store and corporate headquarters.

In 1966, Target expanded beyond Minnesota with the opening of a Denver, Colorado location. Through the close of the decade, the Dayton Company would continue to expand Target on a national scale, with stores in St. Louis, Dallas, and Houston. The company continued to diversify and by 1967 it had "five autonomous divisions: Daytons department stores, Target Stores, B. Dalton Bookseller, Daytons Jewelers and Dayton Development Company." The Dayton Corporation's diverse portfolio made it attractive to investors and the company went public with an Initial Public Offering on October 18^th, 1967.

In 1969 it merged with the Detroit, Michigan, based Hudson department store chain and became the Dayton-Hudson Corporation. In 1990, the Dayton-Hudson Corporation acquired the venerable Chicago-based Marshall Field's. By the end of the century, all Dayton's and Hudson's stores were rebranded as "Marshall Field's," which had a stronger national brand recognition. As the twenty first century began, Target had a national presence and the department store arm of the company had taken on less significance; the department store division was eventually sold to Macy's, which operated the downtown Minneapolis store until 2016.

When George Draper Dayton began acquiring Minneapolis real estate for development, he did not plan to launch a company that would have a dramatic impact on American retail practices. The Daytons expanded their dry goods store at the corner of Seventh Street South and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis to the largest department store in the city to an innovative corporation that would expand throughout the state of Minnesota and into Wisconsin and would revolutionize discount shopping with the launch of Target.

Site Description

The Dayton's Department Store building at 700 Nicollet Mall (historically 700 Nicollet Avenue) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was developed as the corporate headquarters and flagship retail location of the Dayton's department store, a local Minneapolis company.

The Dayton's Department Store building is located in downtown Minneapolis on a 3.44 acre parcel, covering the majority of the irregularly shaped city block bounded by Seventh Street South, Nicollet Mall, Eighth Street South, and Hennepin Avenue. The property is built to the sidewalk at Seventh Street South, Nicollet Mall, and Eighth Street South and abuts a mid-block alley to the west.

The building is composed of the original 1902 store building located at the corner of Seventh Street South and Nicollet Mall, and subsequent additions that expanded the building south along Nicollet Avenue, then west along Eighth Street South, and ultimately back north along the alley, creating a U-shaped building which surrounds the Radisson Blu (located at 45 Seventh Street South). Major building campaigns resulting in additions to the building took place in 1910, 1912, 1928, 1937, 1945, 1958, and 1963. Between 1969 and 2000, skyway bridges were added to connect Dayton's to neighboring buildings.

The Dayton's Department Store building has a U-shaped massing, with street frontages along Seventh Street South, Nicollet Avenue, and Eighth Street South. Specifically, the property encompasses Lots A through H of Auditor's Subdivision No. 109 and Lots 8. 9, 10, 19, and 19 of Block 223 of Hoag and Bells Addition to Minneapolis.

The store is located within an area that was historically Minneapolis's dry goods and retailing district and currently serves as the city's central business district. Surrounding buildings are primarily newer (post-1960) tall buildings, but also some earlier construction. Many buildings within the area are interconnected by skyways.

Dayton's southeast elevation, facing Nicollet Mall, has served as the building's primary facade throughout its history. Moving from northeast to southeast, the facade is composed of the five-story original 1902 building (11 bays), and the 12-story later addition (6 bays). The 12-story addition was constructed in stages with the bottom 3 stories dating to 1917, the middle 5 stories to 1937, top 3 stories and penthouse to 1945.

The 1902 building has a cast iron structure clad in light-brown brick and terra cotta. At the east elevation, the 1902 building is 11 bays wide with the 1^st, 6^th and 11^th bays exhibiting more ornate terra cotta detailing than the other bays. Vertically, the 1902 building adheres to a tripartite organization with the land 2 levels constituting the base, levels 3 through 5 the body, and level 6 the attic.

The base is composed of a replacement metal and glass storefront system and entrances at the 1^st level. The storefront configuration was changed multiple times throughout the building's history. The current configuration includes large display windows at grade and a row of smaller lights at transom level. Four of the bays feature projecting glass storefronts below the transom windows. Each storefront bay is separated by a narrow, painted metal pilaster, with the exception of the 1^st, 6^th, and 11^th bays, which are accentuated by wider granite pilasters. The building's primary entrance is located at the northeast corner of the building. Here, the transom windows and freestanding corner column follow the main plane of the building, while the entry itself is recessed from the sidewalk, cutting diagonally thorough the corner bay. The current entry is composed of modern aluminum and glass full-light swing doors. A secondary entrance is located in the 11^th bay. The entry is composed of four modern aluminum and glass full light swing doors. A projecting aluminum and glass canopy caps the entry.

The 2^nd level adds visual weight to the base of the building. A pair of projecting brick entablatures with egg and dart terra cotta detailing separate the 1^st and 2^nd levels and 2^nd and 3^rd levels of the building. Each bay is separated by a brick pilaster with a narrower decorative projecting terra cotta Ionic column. Each bay houses a multi-light Chicago-style window composed of a central large pane flanked by double hung sash and capped with five-light transoms. The window opening at northeast corner of the building, above the primary entrance has been infilled or covered over with a green marble that matches the branding scheme for Macy's stores. A steel and glass sky way dating to 1971 connects to the 9^th bay of the 2^nd level.

Levels 3 through 5 form the body of the tripartite facade. These levels are clad in light-brown brick, with brick pilasters separating the bays. Each level of each bay is generally composed of Chicago-style windows matching those at the 2^nd level. Each level of windows is separated by a terra cotta spandrel panel with bas relief floral motifs. At the third level, flag poles are attached to each pilaster.

The 1^st, 6^th, and 11^th bays differ from the remaining bays. These bays are set off by brick pilasters with bas relief terra cotta Corinthian column capitals; the 11^th bay is truncated. Within the three bays, the 3^rd and 4^th levels have smaller window openings composed of a picture window and single light transom. The windows are framed by terra cotta Ionic columns. Each level is separated by a terra cotta spandrel panel with floral motif. The 5^th level of these bays has a single round window set in a square terra cotta panel with floral motif.

The 6^th level forms the attic of the tripartite facade. The attic level is set off from the body by a brick architrave that is capped with terra cotta egg and dart detailing. Above the architrave, each bay of the 6^th level houses three double-hung sash. The windows are separated by brick and terra cotta pilasters, with wider pilasters denoting each bay. Above the windows a continuous frieze of terra cotta extends the length of the facade. The attic is capped with a projecting cornice that features dentils, modillions, and bas relief carved lion heads.

To the southeast of the original building is a 12-story addition. The addition was constructed in stages, with the bottom 3 levels dating to 1917 and the middle 5 levels to 1937. The top 3 levels and recessed penthouse that housed the Sky Room restaurant date to 1945.

The bottom 2 levels are clad in granite. Pilasters with stylized Moderne capitals are located between each bay and extend to the top of the 2^nd level. Modern 1^st level storefronts match those on the 1902 building. A secondary entrance is located one bay in from the southeast corner of the building. The entry is composed of four replacement aluminum and glass full-light swing doors. A projecting aluminum and glass canopy caps the entry.

At the second level, windows are a contemporary interpretation of the Chicago-style windows in the 1902 building. Here, the windows are aluminum sash and include a central large pane flanked by single side lights and capped by a three-light transom. The southeastern most bay is infilled with green Macy's branded marble.

Above the 2^nd level, a projecting granite cornice separates the base of the building from the upper levels.

Though constructed in multiple stages, the 3^rd through 11^th levels feature consistent architectural detailing. These levels are clad in light-brown brick. The six bays are separated by brick pilasters that extend to the top of the 11^th level. Each level of each bay has three one-over-one windows and each window has a fluted stone spandrel panel below its sill. Levels 3, 4, and 5 retain their historic double-hung wood sash. Levels 6 through 11 have compatible replacement fixed aluminum sash. Narrow stone pilasters separate the windows and extend to the top of the 11^th level. Above the 11^th level, the facade is capped with a projecting fluted stone panel above every window and a continuous stone parapet.

A single story penthouse is recessed from the main plane of the facade and difficult to view from street level. The penthouse is a single level, with walls entirely composed of full height windows. A projecting flat roof with metal sides caps the penthouse. The metal sides of the roof are generally visible from street level.

Continuing around the building, one reaches the southwest facade, which faces Eighth Street South. The majority of this facade echoes the 12-story portion of the southeast facade in architectural expression and finish, however if was constructed in a piecemeal fashion over a larger number of small projects. The western end of the overall facade is made up of a parking garage and auditorium addition constructed in 1958.

Beginning at the eastern corner of the facade, the 12 story portion extends for 20 bays. Moving from east to west along this addition, the first 7 bays continue the 1917/1928/1945 construction present at the east facade. The next two bays include a first level dating to 1910, middle 5 levels to 1937, top 3 levels and penthouse to 1945. Continuing east, the next three bays include a first level dating to 1910, middle 7 levels to 1920, and top level to 1945. The final 8 bays of the 12-story portion of the building include the bottom 4 levels which date to 1928, middle 6 levels to 1937, and top level to 1945.

In general, this facade has the same conditions as the southeast facade of the 12 story addition. At the first level, a similar modern secondary entry is located within the 7^th bay from the southeast corner of the building. The major difference from the southeast facade is that the eight bays at the west (adjacent to the parking garage) have been infilled with granite panels up to the bottom of the 2^nd level cornice. Four of these bays are recessed at the first level. Two are infilled with modern glass and aluminum store front windows. One includes two modern full-light aluminum swing doors and functioned as an employee entrance. The fourth includes four modern full-light aluminum swing doors and functioned as a customer entrance.

At the 2^nd level, skyways connect to the building in the 3^rd and 13^th bays from the south corner. The skyway at the 3^rd bay is constructed of steel and glass and was installed in 2000. The skyway at the 13^th bay is constructed of concrete panels and glass and was constructed in 1969.

At the upper levels, the 1^st bay from the east corner of the building features four windows at each level, rather than three. The 5^th and 17^th bays feature two windows at each level. Like at the southeast facade, upper level windows at this facade are one-over-one replacement aluminum fixed sash, except for levels 3, 4 and 5, which retain one-over-one wood double-hung sash.

The 12^th level Sky Room penthouse extends for five bays from the east corner of the building. The remainder of the 12" level houses mechanical space. This portion of the 12^th level is also recessed from the main plane of the facade and not visible from street level.

Continuing west along the facade is the three bay wide parking garage. The recessed ground level is clad in grey granite panels. Moving from east to west along the garage facade, the first bay houses an automobile exit, the second an automobile entrance, and the third a loading entrance with a pair of painted metal accordion doors.

The upper levels of the garage are clad in vertical metal fins. The fins are offset at every other level, and interlock at the location of each floor slab, expressing the garage's structure at its exterior.

Above the parking structure, the concrete clad auditorium is visible. The auditorium is set back from the plane of the garage facade and rises above the top parking level on a series of concrete columns. The auditorium has a flat roof.

To the west of the main body of the garage is a single story garage entry. The entry is clad in green marble and red and grey granite panels. A pair of full light metal swing doors are roughly centered on the entry. The entry has a flat roof.

The northwest facade is entirely composed of the eight-level parking garage and is nine structural bays wide. The four western bays are part of the 1958 garage. The four northern bays were added to the garage during a 1963 expansion. The facade faces the alley, and due to the tight alley space, the majority of the facade is not readily visible from either Seventh Street South or Eighth Street South. Like the other parking garage facades, the exterior of the garage is clad in vertical metal fins.

The auditorium space rises vertically above the 1958 portion of the garage. The auditorium is clad in concrete panels. A pair of egress staircases extend from the first level to the auditorium. These staircases stand proud of the rest of the facade and are clad in aluminum sheathing with flared metal capitals.

The northeast facade faces Seventh Street South. Turning the corner from the northwest facade to the northeast facade, the 1963 parking garage addition continues for three structural bays. Continuing southeast, the Radisson Blu infills the "U" of the Dayton's building and fronts Seventh Street South for the central portion of the block. To the southeast of the Radisson Blu, the east end of the block is made up of the original 1902 building.

The northeast facade of the garage is entirely composed of the 1963 garage extension. The ground level of this facade is clad in modern granite panels and houses a retail space with modern glass and aluminum storefronts. A recessed automobile entry is present at the northwest edge of the facade. The upper stories of this facade are similar to the southwest and northwest facades of the parking garage.

The 1902 building is 7 bays wide at this facade, with interior bays matching the majority of the bays on the primary southeast facade, and the 1^st and 7^th bays matching the more ornate 1^st, 6^th, and 11^th bays of the southeast facade. Differences from the southeast facade include projecting glass storefronts at two of the first level bays. At the second level, a glass and steel skyway dating to 1982 connects with the building at the third bay from the western edge of the facade. The second level of the easternmost bay is infilled with green Macy's branded marble.

As a working department store, the interior of Dayton's has seen change over time, particularly with regard to finish materials and the location of partition walls. Throughout its history, Dayton's has housed four major types of spaces - 1) retail; 2) office; 3) food and event, including the basement food court, Oak Grill, Sky Room, and 8^th level auditorium; and 4) mechanical and service, including the sub-basement and 13^th floor mechanical penthouse. As levels of the building that served similar functions tend to have the same spatial organization, general level of finish, and circulation patterns, this building description will move through the building describing it by function rather than floor by floor. Vertical circulation will be discussed separately at the end.

Retail has traditionally been housed on the 1^st through 6^th levels of the building.

As is typical for department stores, the center of each floor plate is dedicated to retail space, while the perimeter of the building is dedicated to office space and back-of-house functions such as storage, stock rooms, and mechanical spaces.

The central retail areas of each of these levels are generally open with an exposed column grid, as non-historic partition walls have been removed. Finish materials at the central retail areas vary. Flooring includes wood, marble tile, and terrazzo. Wall coverings include paint and wallpaper. Ceilings are generally painted gypsum board or plaster as non-historic dropped ceilings have been removed. Horizontal circulation on a particular floor tends to be circular and purposefully confusing (with the goal of getting shoppers "lost" in the store) and is defined by changes in floor finish.

The perimeter spaces were long closed off from the central retail spaces by partition walls that created individual offices, staff bathrooms, retail storage and mechanical spaces. The non-historic partition walls have been removed; as the perimeter spaces were not typically accessible by the public they have seen less change in finish materials. Wood floors and older ceramic are present in some areas. In the 1912-1947 building, wood windows and interior wood trim (at the windows and base) are extant at the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th levels. Multi-light steel windows are extant at the 1912-1947 building on the facades that face the Radisson at the interior of the Dayton's building "U."

The J.B. Hudson jewelry store space, located in the southern corner of the main floor of the building, was designed by Long & Thorshoy in 1929. The jewelry store space is two levels, with a central stair leading to the second level mezzanine. At the first level, the space retains its wood casework, historic tile floor, and stone and wood paneled columns. The light stone columns and walls have been painted red. Display windows that face Nicollet Mall are concealed behind the jewelry store's storage cases, cash wrap desks and small alcove rooms. The mezzanine level has white painted cases that line the perimeter walls and a wrought iron railing that overlooks the main sales floor of the jewelry store. The jewelry store has a coffered ceiling.

The jewelry store has three distinct entrances. The first floor interior entrances are each marked by an elaborate arched iron gate featuring scrolls, birds, flowers, and cherubs. The store can also be entered from Eighth Street, where wood-framed revolving doors open into a marble and plaster vestibule, which serves the greater store but also provides direct access to the J.B. Hudson space. The ceiling has elaborate plasterwork and a large glass and iron light fixture. The stone and marble clad walls of the vestibule have small display cases that flank the entrance to the jewelry store.

There is an intact historic women's restroom and lounge located on the northeast end of the fourth floor sales floor. The restroom, which dates to the 1940s expansion and renovation campaigns, is influenced by streamline moderne and orientalist designs and has a black, red green, and ivory color scheme. The restroom space is elevated and access is gained by a stone staircase. The lounge features green and black ceramic tile floors, jadeite sinks, ceramic art tiles above the sinks, black, red and ivory glass wall tiles and an opening to the toilet rooms with a pigmented glass sign that reads "Free Toilet." The toilet rooms feature the same green and black ceramic tile floors, marble walls and toilet partitions, and moderne style black and chrome doors. A marble fountain, which was previously hidden by non-historic partition walls, is located outside of the restroom.

Office space has traditionally been housed on the 7^th through 11^th levels of the building, with the 9^th level dedicated to executive office suites and conference rooms.

Levels 7, 10, 11, and part of level 8 all functioned as general office space. Levels 7, 10, and 11 have mostly wide open floor plates with the building's exposed column grid punctuating the space; some areas of these office floors have mechanical systems. On these levels it is easy to note when you move from the 1902 building to the 1912-1947 building due to the change in column shape.

Non-historic finish materials have been removed, exposing historic concrete and wood floor finishes, plaster ceilings, and reinforced concrete structure at the ceilings. In some instances plaster has been applied to the exposed concrete structure; in other areas the concrete is exposed.

The 8^th level shares part of its floor plate with the auditorium and specialized holiday display space (discussed in the Food and Event section below). The office portion of the 8^th level is located at the eastern end of the 1912-1947 building. Non-historic finish materials have been removed, exposing historic concrete and wood floor finishes, plaster ceilings, and reinforced concrete structure at the ceilings. In some instances, plaster has been applied to the exposed concrete structure; in other areas the concrete is exposed.

The 9^th level houses executive office suites and conference rooms. The executive offices are located along the south perimeter wall of the 1912-1947 building. The offices generally retain their historic footprint, as is evidenced by closets and built-ins in some offices and en-suite bathrooms located behind hidden doors in several offices. The bathrooms generally retain the blue ceramic tile floors and marble toilet partitions found in older bathrooms throughout the building. Each office has unique finish materials, likely chosen by the office's user. The majority of the finish materials appear modern, carpet, painted or wallpapered walls, dropped acoustical ceiling tiles. However, some offices retain wood paneling that likely dates to mid-century. The circulation space outside the executive offices retains some built-in wood and metal cabinetry and closets.

The conference rooms at the 9^th level include a series of rooms at the perimeter walls, and also rooms at the interior of the floor plate. The conference rooms generally have modern finishes, including carpet, painted gypsum board walls, and dropped acoustical tile ceilings.

Food service and event space is located throughout the building, as was typical of large department stores of this vintage. Food and event space was seen as a necessity for attracting customers and keeping them in the store for long periods of time. These spaces were also used to highlight unique elements of the Dayton's brand; hosting art openings, fashion shows, the yearly Christmas exhibits and Bachman's flower shows among other activities.

During the department store's history, restaurant spaces were located on different floors of the building. In 1904, the store opened a tea room on the fourth floor; five years later a soda fountain was opened on the basement level. As part of the 1937 building expansion, restaurants, including a new tea room, "the Main Diningroom [sic], Dinette, Lounge, and Men's Grill-were constructed on the new seventh floor." In 1947, the Men's Oak Grill (later the "Oak Grill") and the Sky Room (later the "Skyroom") opened on the 12^th floor. In 1984, the food court style "Marketplace" opened in the lower level.

The lower level of the building was originally home to the "Downstairs Store," and a soda fountain and candy shop. For most of the twentieth and twenty first century, the lower level has housed a food court and the department store's home goods section. This level is characterized by an open floor plan and exposed column grid.

The 12^th floor Oak Grill (formerly the Men's Oak Grill) was a fine dining establishment and has a characteristic high degree of finish. The walls and columns are covered in wood paneling with a dark stain that evokes a Tudor Revival style. A large stone and brick fireplace that was imported from England is the defining feature of the main dining room. Stained glass "windows" on either side of the fireplace are actually backlit light fixtures. The main dining room is flanked by a wood paneled bar and a private dining room. The entrance to the Oak Grill is framed by a pair of glass display windows, similar to the storefront windows at the building's exterior.

The Sky Room Restaurant has been modified and currently has a cafeteria style kitchen and open dining room. The restaurant has three walls of large windows that overlook downtown Minneapolis. The ceiling retains its serpentine form and recessed lighting that date to the restaurant's construction in the 1940s. Historic wood floor and marble tile flooring is extant.

The Oak Grill and Sky Room were served by a large restaurant, bakery, and catering kitchen that takes up most of the 12" floor. The industrial kitchen is characterized by glazed tile walls and columns, quarry tile floors, and stainless steel finishes.

The 8^th floor exhibition hall which was used for holiday displays, flower shows, and fashion shows, was constructed in 1958, above the parking garage. The exhibition hall space is a large open volume with a raised stage at its west side. The exhibition hall has painted concrete floor and painted plywood walls and ceiling. The stage has a wood floor. A service space with concrete floor and concrete block walls is located behind the stage at the western perimeter wall. Similarly, small storage rooms and two egress stairwells are located along the south perimeter wall.

To the east of the exhibition hail, the western portion of the 1912-1947 building was dedicated to specialized retail space associated with events in the exhibition hall. This space follows a similar organization and finish pattern to the other retail spaces in the building, it is located at the interior of the floor plate and has an open column grid.

The mechanical and services spaces within the Dayton's building are completely separated from the other functions of the building and exhibit a very low level of finish.

The 13^th floor mechanical penthouse has concrete floors, walls and ceiling. The space is subdivided into a series of rooms by fire-rated partition walls as required to separate different mechanical systems and machines housed on this level. Transom level multi-light steel windows are found throughout. A single swing door provides roof access at the west exterior wall. The 13^th floor is reached by a concrete staircase from the 12 level back-of-house space.

The sub-basement is generally composed of unfinished space dedicated to mechanical systems, and some storage. The sub-basement has concrete floors and ceilings. The building's exposed concrete column grid is present throughout. Exterior walls are a combination of concrete, masonry, and stone, depending on section of the building. Modern partition walls have been added to subdivide some of the larger spaces into offices for maintenance and shipping staff and to enclose newer toilet rooms. The sub-basement can be reached by the service elevator and egress stairs.

Historically, vertical circulation was achieved through numerous banks of passenger and freight elevators, banks of centrally located escalators, service stairs, and historic stairs that serve the first floor and lower level.

The central bank of escalators and the passenger elevators are extant. Remaining escalators and the freight elevators have been removed and the shafts are extant; escalators will be replaced with passenger elevators.

The general circulation of the retail floors follows a wide oval path around the banks of escalators, with retail displays situated on either side of the path. Retail areas are usually marked by a change in floor finish, to terrazzo or wood, while the pedestrian path is generally stone tile.

The parking garage is reinforced concrete construction and is characterized by exposed structure and vertical circulation for automobiles. The eighth floor of the parking structure was designed to serve as an exhibition hall and is characterized by its large open volume. The interior of the hall has been repeatedly painted to serve the needs of the holiday and flower shows thar took place there.

Dayton's and Goodfellows, early 1900s (1905)

Dayton's Dry Goods Co. and Radisson Hotel (1910)

Dayton's Dry Goods Company (1910)

Excavation for new addition (1910)

The Dayton Company (1920)

Dayton's Department Store (1921)

Dayton's Department Store expansion (1937)

Dayton's Department Store (1937)

Dayton's Department Store, (date unknown)

Dayton's Skyroom Restaurant (1949)

Dayton's Skyroom Restaurant (1949)

Dayton's Interior (1949)

Men's Oak Grill (date unknown)

J.B. Hudson (date unknown)