Architecture and Tradition (Minneapolis Foshay Tower, Minnesota)
Address: 821 S. Marquette Street. π’π Opening: 1929 Height: 136 meters Style: Art Deco Architect: Leon Arnal This office obelisk was originally intended to be the Midwest's Washington Monument. Wilbur Foshay said so, and he apparently saw no problem with lighting his name on a monument allegedly dedicated to a president. π’π Four years after the skyscraper was put into use, he was imprisoned. ποΈ As an eastern migrant who had briefly managed the Kansas Power Company, Foshay moved to Minneapolis and established a small utility portfolio, paying a small part first and then financing the rest by issuing stocks to the public. π’π As his paper empire expanded to 30 states, he commissioned the construction of this tower and sponsored a three-day grand dedication ceremony led by John Philip Sousa. πΆ Two months later, the market crashed, investors were left with worthless stocks, and the company went into bankruptcy administration. π’π The failed businessman then took his creativity to Colorado, where he launched a publicity campaign claiming that mountain streams were so cold that trout grew fur. The tower is now a luxury hotel, where guests can enjoy cocktails in the redwood-paneled lounge. π₯ π’π #TraditionalArchitecture #Architecture π
