A brief history: The Landmark Center

By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | August 2024

The Landmark Center – long known as the old federal courts building – was constructed in 1902 for use as the Federal Court House, Custom House and U.S. Post Office for the Upper Midwest. Perched alongside Rice Park, its Richardsonian Romanesque style architecture features pink granite ashlar from St. Cloud, Minn., a steeply pitched red tile roof adorned with green conical turrets, and courtrooms, offices and suites appointed with marble and carved mahogany finishes.

Much of the building’s interior splendor was tarnished by the government entities operating there in the 1960s. Marble walls in the lobby were covered with green paint, the cortile skylight was roofed and painted over, and marble mosaics were replaced with crude tiling. The building itself was saved from the wrecking ball when being decommissioned by the federal government, thanks to the Committee to Save the Old Federal Courts Building, a group of determined citizens who worked alongside several mayors and county officials. In 1969, it was one of the first structures in the state to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the nonprofit Minnesota Landmarks was established the following year to ensure adaptive reuse of the building and raise funds for an extensive restoration effort. Being a federal surplus building, it was transferred to Ramsey County in 1975, which passed along operations to Minnesota Landmarks.

The building was restored to its previous grandeur, reopening to the public as Landmark Center in 1978. Today, the mission of the Center is to be a dynamic gathering place and center for arts that celebrates the cultural diversity and collective history of the community. According to the Center’s 2023 annual report released in May, about 40 volunteers donated more than 2,600 hours to Landmark Center last year. Mino, the executive director, has been with the center for 30 years and in her current role for 21. For the past decade was also the chair of the Rice Park Association, which puts on Summer Nights in Rice, before stepping down this year. For more information and an event calendar, visit landmarkcenter.org.

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