Black Building

Our Story

Since several hundred people gathered to watch its cornerstone be placed on November 17, 1930, downtown Fargo’s Black Building has captured imaginations of North Dakotans. The 8-story art deco tower, wrapped with banks of large windows in intricate cast iron frames, would serve as the bustling center of commerce of Fargo for decades. George M. Black, proprietor of the Black Building, was an experienced merchandiser, having grown up in the business. His father Leslie Black, had emigrated from Ireland in the 1860s and set up his first store in Parsons, Kansas. As a young boy, George worked long hours in the store cleaning, stocking shelves and taking care of customers. When he and Leslie decided to seek new locations in which to set up a chain of stores, Fargo happened to be a train stop over.

“A beautiful day in May, 1912,” reads the autobiography of George M. Black. “Lots of women out shopping. I visited the stores Herbsts, deLendrecies, and Moodys. They were busy. Prices were good. It was an exhilarating experience.”

On June 12, 1912, The Black Store opened at 112 Broadway. Black ran a successful store and continuously expanded its footprint along Broadway. He became well known for throwing turkeys off the roof to celebrate Thanksgiving, originating a one cent sale, and the unique Gold Dollar Sale, in which each purchase came with a free dish of ice cream. As the depression of the 1920s intensified, more stores were consolidating or closing. Black was in New York on October 29, 1929 to witness the stock market collapse, an experience that prompted him to sell The Black Store in Fargo to Sears, Roebuck. He would use the proceeds of the sale to build the Black Building. The lower level, first and second floors of the new building would be home to Sears. The remaining six floors would be the most modern, professional office space the city had seen. The top floor was the showpiece home of WDAY Studios. As part of their lease agreement, WDAY would sign on to the airwaves with “This is WDAY in the Black Building. Fargo.”

T.F. Powers & Co., the Fargo construction company, called the Black Building its masterpiece. Other superlatives used to describe the structure as a center of activity that was flooded with merchandise, pride of Fargoans, and veritable cathedral of business activity. Today, as the building nears 90 years in age, Kilbourne Group begins the most extensive renovation the Black Building has ever seen. The vintage structure was added to the National Registry of Historic Places, ensuring its care for decades to come. Historic details being include ornate elevator doors, terrazzo flooring, and marble baseboards. Smart re-use of the building’s infrastructure to suit the needs of today’s retailers and business professionals, along with care and attention to historic details, will once again draw thousands of people into the building each day and add to Fargo’s vibrant downtown.

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