Photo originally published June 16, 1935
When the Minneapolis Armory Building was built in 1935 — at a cost of $600,000 — it was ahead of its time.
Built as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA) program, it was constructed using all local materials and employed hundreds of local tradesmen.
And although St. Paul architect P.C. Bettenburg might not have known it when he designed it, the Armory is considered one of the greatest examples of WPA Moderne architecture, and the most important building constructed in the Twin Cities during the Great Depression.
At its peak, more than 27 units of the Minnesota National Guard used the building for training and recreational purposes, but the building would go on to have many other uses.
From 1947 to 1960 it was home to the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team as well as marquee boxing and wrestling tournaments. It continued to be a venue for trade shows, conventions and sporting and music events through the 1970s.
In 1982, it achieved pop culture fame as the backdrop for Prince's music video for "1999." Years later, Aerosmith would use it to shoot the 1998 "Don't Want to Miss a Thing" music video.
Hennepin County bought the building in 1989 with the intention of using the site for a new jail, but was sued by a group fighting to maintain its historic landmark designation. The county lost.
