Downtown Fargo District
a.k.a. N.R. Control Nos. 0911792158;0913822518;0717791722;062579151
Roughly Roberts St., from S. 1st Ave. to 5th Ave. N., and Main Ave., Fargo, NDThe significance of the downtown Fargo district lies in its unusually large concentration of diverse architectural styles, and in the extent to which Fargo's business district became the premier service, commercial, and distribution hub for a region extending from northwestern Minnesota through eastern North Dakota, including a major portion of the Red River Valley. The district represents a complete catalog of architectural styles fashionable in commercial construction from 1878 Italianate through 1930-40 Art Moderne. For over 50 years, the district was identified with large volume service and retail establishments and agricultural implement dealerships, the results of excellent rail connections in the cardinal directions.
In 1872, Fargo became the North Dakota entry point for the Northern Pacific Railroad. The railroad completed construction to Bismarck on the Missouri River before its i financial collapse precipitated the Panic of 1873. The reorganization of the NP and resumption of construction to the Pacific in 1879 marks the date that Fargo began to achieve significance architecturally and historically. By 1883, the NP was completed to the West Coast and Fargo had been made a division headquarters for the railroad. Birdseye views and photographs from 1880 show that the 500 and 600 blocks on the south side of Main Ave. (then Front St.), near the NP's Headquarters Hotel, were developed with solid business fronts, albeit many were frame buildings that were gradually replaced by masonry during the 1879-86 Great Dakota Boom. Of this early period, the only intact business block today is the 600 block of Main Ave. Similar early structures between 6th St. South and the Red River of the North were cleared for urban renewal in the 1960s.
Several important early structures on the south side of Main Ave. and vicinity represent the Great Dakota Boom period which led to statehood in 1889. The first Luger Furniture Store (#85) at 716 Main Ave. is a brick commercial Victorian Gothic store built in 1882 from plans by Proctor and Daniels, an early local architectural firm. Around the corner at 9-11 8th St. S. (#4), the same architects built the Masonic Block in 1884 in a similar style. These two buildings are the best surviving examples of this style in North Dakota, and the Masonic Block has been listed on the National Register since 1975. Like many of Fargo's early architects, both Charles N. Daniels, who had worked in Minneapolis before moving to Fargo and John N. Proctor moved to the Pacific Northwest to find new work in the late 1880s.
Fargo's greatest surviving concentration of Italianate commercial structures built during the Great Dakota Boom can be found fronting Main Avenue between 602 and 618 Main Ave. Before the Fargo Fire destroyed 90 percent of the city center in 1893, Italianate features, such as paired bracketed cornices, arched windows, hood molds, and drip molds, could be seen on the majority of downtown Fargo business blocks. The Italianate style, popular in earlier decades farther east, is the earliest commercial high style found in North Dakota. It quickly became eclipsed in the region after 1890, and few good examples are found in the state today.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.
The first known European settlers arrived in what is now Cass County in the mid-1800s, drawn by the promise of fertile farmland. The area soon became a hub for agricultural development, with settlers establishing numerous small towns and farming communities. In 1873, Cass County was officially created and named after territorial governor George Washington Cass.
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cass County experienced significant growth and development. New rail lines were laid, connecting the county to markets across the region and facilitating the transportation of goods. As the county and its population expanded, new industries emerged, including flour mills, lumber production, and manufacturing.
In the early 20th century, Cass County faced challenges such as drought, economic downturns, and the impact of World War I. However, the county managed to weather these challenges and continued to develop. Today, Cass County is the most populous county in North Dakota and remains a major center for agriculture, as well as a hub for education, healthcare, and industry.
Cass County Timeline
This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Cass County, North Dakota.
- 1804: Lewis and Clark expedition explores the area of present-day Cass County
- 1818: The region becomes part of the land acquired through the Treaty of Fort Jackson
- 1872: Cass County is established by the Dakota Territory Legislature
- 1873: The city of Fargo is founded as the county seat
- 1879: The Great Northern Railway reaches Fargo, boosting the city's growth and development
- 1881: North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University) is established in Fargo
- 1893: The Fargo-Moorhead Flood devastates the region
- 1957: The first Interstate highway in the state, Interstate 29, is opened in Cass County
- 1974: Fargo experiences a major tornado outbreak, causing significant damage
- 1997: The Red River Flood of 1997 causes extensive flooding in the county