Banfill Tavern, 6666 East River Road, Fridley, Minnesota

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Banfill Tavern
2001
2001
Address:	6666 River Road E
City/locality- State/province	Fridley, Minnesota
County- State/province:	Anoka County, Minnesota
State/province:	Minnesota
Country:	United States
Year built:	1847
Primary Style:	Greek Revival
Additions:	1851
Historic Function:	House/single dwelling or duplex
Historic Function:	Hotel
Other Historic Function:	Hotel
Current Function:	Museum
Builder:	John Banfill
Material of Exterior Wall Covering:	Wood
Material of Roof:	Asphalt
Material of Foundation:	Limestone
First Owner:	John Banfill

Fridley Anoka County

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Banfill Tavern, 6666 East River Road, Fridley, Minnesota
(45.088845,-93.276277)

National Register of Historic Places Information
Reference Number:	76001044
Reference URL:	[Reference]
Certification date:	December 12, 1976
Primary Style:	Greek Revival

Minnesota’s early immigrants may not have had much time for leisure, but they did need a place to rest as they made their way to new homes or conducted business along trade routes. The Banfill Tavern in Fridley, considered one of the first resort hotels in Minnesota, was a well-known stop on a heavily traveled Red River Trail.

History

Known as the Metropolitan Trail, the trade route was part of the complex system of trails for both commerce and emigration that connected St. Paul to the Selkirk Settlement in Canada. A portion of the trail crossed the property of John Banfill, a mason and innkeeper who converted his summerhouse into a hotel that served both the military and the fur trade. The success of the hotel encouraged Banfill to expand his business enterprises. Platting the town of Manomin (now Fridley) in 1851, Banfill added a store and post office to his hotel. Eventually, the hotel also served as a retreat for St. Paul socialites.

The two-story, L-shaped, wood-frame structure is one of the finest examples of early Minnesota buildings executed in the Greek Revival style. Its six-over-six, double-hung windows, tripartite entry, broken-pedimented gables, corner pilasters and slender brick chimneys are all characteristic of the style, which was disseminated through architectural plan books of the day.

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This place is part of Minnesota Pioneer House Project