AUGUST 9, 2016 MEETING:
The Hamm Building
The Hamm Building is a prominent feature of Downtown Saint Paul. It sits on “hallowed ground” that at one time was the site of the Cathedral of St. Paul at the corner of St. Peter Street and 6th Street. Design for a new Mannheimer Department Store at 6th and St. Peter was begun in 1915 by the firm of Toltz, King and Day. World War I interrupted construction and at the conclusion of the War, William Hamm (son of Theodore Hamm) stepped up to purchase the partially completed building. William had the building redesigned to accommodate offices rather than retail and also to include the Capital Theater. Construction was completed in 1921. The Hamm Building gained historic recognition in 1997 as it was placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
In 2010 the Capitol Theater was renovated and one of our own Rotarians, Andrew Boss, was instrumental in making it happen. Today the Andrew Boss thrust stage hosts a wide variety of musical and theatrical talent for all of us to enjoy.
One cannot address the history of the Hamm Building without addressing the history of the Hamm Family and the history of the Hamm Brewing Company. Larry Morgan will take you on a historic journey touching on each.
Larry Morgan is a former farm kid from southwest Minnesota (Rock County). He passed up being the 4th generation to work the family farm and headed off to South Dakota State University to find a new life challenge. He settled on a degree in Civil Engineering and upon graduation began a five year career with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. Returning to Minnesota in 1977 he joined Toltz, King, Duvall, Anderson and Associates (TKDA) and has enjoyed a 39 career with the firm. TKDA has a 106 year history here in Saint Paul and currently has a staff of 240 employees distributed between the Saint Paul corporate office and six branch offices (Chicago, Duluth, Hermantown, Los Angeles, Seattle and Tampa).