Butler Square

Butler Square is an office and warehouse building made of heavy masonry and steel with a robust construction featuring large window bays and substantial columns throughout. The timber posts and beams diminish in size from the ground level upward, creating a distinctive interior structure that remains visible today.

The building was constructed between 1906 and 1908 by the Butler Brothers Company and replaced a former baseball stadium that once stood on this site. The company used the new structure as its warehouse and headquarters for wholesale distribution operations.

The building was designed following the Chicago School architectural style and displays the hallmarks of this influential design movement. Visitors today can still see the characteristic features of this approach reflected throughout the structure and its details.

The building features a central atrium that brings daylight into the office spaces and helps with interior navigation. Updated mechanical systems support modern workspace use, and the location in downtown Minneapolis makes it easy to access.

The structure was built using timber sourced from northern Minnesota, specifically from Aitkin, where extensive forests provided material supply. The basement once housed stables for delivery horses, showing how important horse-drawn transport was to the wholesale operation at that time.

Location: Minneapolis

Architects: Harry Wild Jones

GPS coordinates: 44.98000,-93.27472

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:45