Project Overview
Built in 1906 under the direction of James J. Hill, the Great Northern Depot provided needed train services and support for travelers until its close in the mid-1980s. In 1993, design began to convert the decaying, pivotal historic building and property into a restaurant and microbrewery. Seating is provided for 300. The east and west Porte Cocheres are enclosed with a clear, butt-glazed curtainwall for the needed floor space and yet preserves the historic context of the building. The attic provides space for the air handling and conditioning equipment. An adjacent boxcar sits on an old track spur and houses the kitchen's mechanical equipment. The tile roofing, brick and granite masonry, wood doors and windows, clockworks, and interior terrazzo and glazed ceramic wainscoting were restored to coincide with the original design of the building. The depot is a Historic Tax Act Project and a contributing building in the Downtown Fargo Historic District.
Awards
1997 AIA ND Design Merit Award