Title

Fremad Building, Glenwood, Minnesota 1893

Creation Date

1893

Description

This item is a photocopy of an original photographic image as reprinted in a newspaper or magazine. Consequently all the subtler photographic qualities of the original are lost here -- although the subject in its grosser elements has survived the process well enough to give us a fairly strong idea of what the photographer captured in full. This late 19th century department store is Glenwood's famous Fremad Building." Its outstanding feature at the time of this photograph the brick veneer exterior of almost exotic ornateness. Our view  is taken from the southeast, toward the building's corner entrance, which at the time would have been the corner of Franklin and Green Streets (now Franklin Street and 1st Avenue Southwest). The uniqueness of this photo is that it shows one of Glenwood's best known historical buildings as it looked in the very year (1893) in which it was built, and perhaps on the very day or week it was opened for business. Thus it is not unlikely to think the long strips of bunting, which the picture shows crisscrossing the entire front of the store's second story, are there to celebrate of the new building's opening. Alternatively these decorations, coupled with the multitude of small US flags decorating the first floor windows, may be in celebration of the Fourth of July in that maiden year of 1893. The tree foliage nearby indicates midsummer. The photo's angle also affords us a look at the two nearest buildings, one on either side of the Fremad Building. On the left edge of the picture is the old original Fremad Store, a white, wood frame structure of two and a half stories. At the time of this photo it was used to warehouse goods for the main store, but in fact it has a considerable story on its own, even to being long known as Glenwood's "first building."  Built in 1868 on the corner site where we see the much larger 1893 structure in this photo, it served as a general store under several owners until purchased and occupied in 1875 by the Fremad Association.       

Geographic Notes

Glenwood, Minnesota
Franklin Street & Green Street / First Avenue Southwest

Geographic Names

Glenwood, Pope, Minnesota, United States, NA [45.65024,-95.38976] [id:5028087]