GOAL: “A Requiem for Architectural Eclecticism, Immigrant Ingenuity, Building Repurposing, Prairie Urban Culture, and Marketing Savvy on East Lake Street.” A CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS To Musicians, Poets, Composers, Lyricists, Spoken Word Artists, Songwriters, Playwrights, and Humorists

Plans are being made for a Celebration of the past occupants, companies, and organizations that built, moved, and used the 2019 East Lake Street building for 134 years.

Yes, it will be a funeral of sorts, a Requiem, to honor the structure and its meaning for thousands of people.

The word Requiem means memorial ceremonies and also texts and compositions associated with death, dying, and mourning, even when they lack religious or liturgical relevance.

Poems, songs, music, spoken word, rhymes, and stories may all be included in an event to be announced soon. Perhaps there is a local theater troupe or two that would take this on for a World Premeier.

Send submissions to: The Alley Newspaper at: editor@alleynews.org;
P.O.Box 7006, Mpls, MN 55407; or call 612-9990-4022.

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Pursuit of Ugly Building”'s Legacy: a Treasure Trove like pearls inside an oyster

“Don”'t prejudge value by outward appearance alone”

BY SHARI ALBERS

For 15 months, a group of local history-minded folks have fought to save the odd-shaped building sometimes known as “the Burma Shave building” on the southwest corner of 21st Avenue South and Lake Street. It appears that all hope of saving even part of the building is lost.

Led by the indomitable Steve Sandberg, our group had a theatrical presence at Open Lake Street 2016, researched much beyond Burma Shave”'s history, registered with Minnesota Preservation Alliance in hopes of getting a historical survey, paid over $500 in fees, and testified to the Heritage Preservation Commission and Minneapolis City Council.

Through our research, we discovered that the building at 2019 E. Lake St. was originally a Congregationalist Church””thus the timber frame-post and beam roof in the middle of the structure. It was built in 1882 near the current Midtown Farmers Market. In 1911, the last living church founder, Mrs. Mary Burnell, was interviewed for a Minneapolis Morning Tribune article. Burnell talks about the area in 1882:

“Although we were small in numbers we made up for it in enthusiasm. Within a few months we had built and paid for a $5000 church building.… Read the rest “Pursuit of Ugly Building”'s Legacy: a Treasure Trove like pearls inside an oyster”