Smith Building, 225-229 1/2 W. 7th Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Smith Building
2001
Address:	225 7th Street W
Neighborhood/s:	West 7th, Saint Paul, Minnesota
City/locality- State/province	Saint Paul, Minnesota
County- State/province:	Ramsey County, Minnesota
State/province:	Minnesota
Country:	United States
Year built:	1888
Primary Style:	Victorian
Secondary Style:	Richardsonian Romanesque
Historic Function:	Business
Historic Function:	Apartments
Other Historic Function:	Apartments
Current Function:	Business
Material of Exterior Wall Covering:	Brick
Material of Roof:	Asphalt
Material of Foundation:	Limestone
First Owner:	Robert Smith

West 7th Saint Paul Ramsey

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Smith Building, 225-229 1/2 W. 7th Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota
(44.943356,-93.104115)

Built at a cost of $24,000, its construction was financed by Robert Smith, whose elegant house on the site was razed to make way for this building. Smith first came to St. Paul in 1853 as a private secretary to his brother-in-law, the newly appointed territorial governor, Willis A. Gorman. He then held the position of territorial librarian until 1858, though he was also appointed treasurer of Ramsey County in 1856. Smith served on the City Council in 1883, and in 1887, and was mayor of St. Paul from 1887 to 1902. Smith was a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, and was also an active St. Paul lawyer, financier, and vice president of Bank of Minnesota. The building is currently occupied by Patrick McGovern's Pub.

Memories and Stories

Patrick McGovern's was previously the Brass Rail Bar. West 7th was quite raucus in the '50s and '60s. The Brass Rail, and Jack's Chicken Shack down one block on the northeast corner of Walnut and West 7th had controversial reputations. The Brass Rail was sometimes pretty rowdy with fights spilling out onto the sidewalk.

Jack's was a hangout for the city's small-time gangsters. One of them, Tony DeVito, was last seen at Jack's sometime in September of 1953. His body was never found. A local gangster was a suspect in DeVito's murder. The owner of Jack's was called as a witness, but spent time in prison for contempt of court. When he returned in 1961, he disappeared from his restaurant. His body was later found, but no arrest was ever made.

Related Links

Published June 20, 1992

L. Fallon Kelly dies at 84; former associate justice of State Supreme Court

Kelly also was U.S. attorney for Minnesota during President Dwight Eisenhower's administration and presided over prosecutions involving gangsters. He was the federal prosecutor in several highly publicized cases, . . . including that of Rocky Lupino and John Azzone for unlawful flight following the kidnapping and murder of Tony DeVito.