Photo: #Paul Clifford Larson praises this elaborate, decorative skylight in the Endicott Building as evidence of this "absolutely stunning building."
Photo: #The entry to the Endicott Building from 4th St. The staircases, made of Italian marble, make quite an impression. Larson says Cass Glbert modeled the office building after a Florentine palace.
Photo: #Those entering from Robert St. don't miss out on the grandeur of the Italianate skylight and glass gallery.
Photo: #The grand brass sign sets the tone for the Endicott Building. The building typified St. Paul's connections to New England money at the time it was built, in 1891.
Photo: #The Endicott Building, as seen from 4th St., in its neighborhood context. Next door to the left is the Pioneer Press building, and in the foreground, the more recent St. Paul skyway system. The Endicott was one of the most praised buildings of its day.
Photo: #More evidence that Gilbert had a Florentine palace in mind as a model. This Italian touch is affixed to the exterior, made of rough-hewn Minnesota Stone.
Photo: #The Endicott Building was built around the Pioneer Press Building from two years earlier (1889). The L-shaped building has two grand entries, one on 4th St., and this one on Robert St. This allowed Cass Gilbert to design two facades.
Photo: #One of the book's two co-authors, Paul Clifford Larson, in the arcade of the building he admires so much.
Photo: #The skylight continues around the corner. This is one of the touches which impresses Larson. He says Cass Gilbert had built other buildings, "but nothing with this pizazz."
Photo: #This annex was also designed by Cass Gilbert, though in a different style some three decades later.
Larger view
The grand brass sign sets the tone for the Endicott Building. The building typified St. Paul's connections to New England money at the time it was built, in 1891. (MPR Photo/Tom Crann)
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St. Paul architecture reflects a grand history

by Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio
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St. Paul, Minn. — What comes to mind when you think of St. Paul architecture -- the twin domes of the State Capitol and the St. Paul Cathedral? The red #1 blinking atop a skyscraper? The storefronts of Grand Ave.? And don't forget the grand houses lining Summit.

A new book surveys the varied architecture of St. Paul, past and present. Paul Clifford Larson is the co-author, with Jeffrey Hess, of "St. Paul Architecture: A History." He met MPR's Tom Crann in downtown St. Paul to talk about the book at an important building, and one of his favorties -- the Endicott Building.

This building was designed by Cass Gilbert, the same architect who designed the Minnesota State Capitol, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington.

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