S. Edward Hall House

Last updated
S. Edward Hall House
S. Edward Hall House.JPG
USA Minnesota location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location996 Iglehart Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Coordinates 44°56′57.5″N93°8′32.5″W / 44.949306°N 93.142361°W / 44.949306; -93.142361 Coordinates: 44°56′57.5″N93°8′32.5″W / 44.949306°N 93.142361°W / 44.949306; -93.142361
Built1906
NRHP reference No. 91000440 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 16, 1991
Removed from NRHPMay 23, 2016

The S. Edward Hall House in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, was the home of S. Edward Hall (1878-1975), an African American businessman and founder of the Saint Paul chapter of the NAACP. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places from 1991 to 2016. [2]

The house was listed on the National Register for its association with its owner, Stephen Edward Hall, who moved from Springfield, Illinois to St. Paul in 1900 to join his brother, Orrie C. Hall, as a barber. By 1906, S. Edward Hall had married and bought the house, and the two brothers established a barber shop in the Germania Bank Building (then known as the Pittsburgh Building). African Americans found good employment as barbers, because it was one of the few occupations where Blacks had been able to enter and dominate. During that time, one-fourth of barbers in St. Paul were Black men, and it ranked as the third-largest occupation for Blacks behind porters and waiters. In addition, Black barbers who catered to a White clientele could make economic gains, job connections, and influence for fellow Blacks. [3]

S. Edward Hall put these connections to work to aid fellow African Americans. When other African Americans were looking for work, Hall would inquire with his patrons about job openings. A weekly bulletin entitled The Helper referenced his shop, and this scheme became somewhat of a system, where other "tipsters" would inform "helpers" of job vacancies. The local African Methodist Episcopal church organized the Helper Movement and Hall served as its vice president. This employment referral system did not fully satisfy the job shortage among African Americans, though, and it wasn't effective for jobs outside the service sector. In 1923, Ed Hall became one of the founding members of the St. Paul branch of the National Urban League, which promised more support for job seekers and would be assisted by donations from the Community Chest. Hall remained active with the organization for many years, and at the time of his death in 1975, he was an honorary board member and President Emeritus. Hall also continued to provide employment connections through his barber shop, such as assisting with the Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant's agreement to hire a fair quota of Black employees in 1925. [3]

Although S. Edward Hall was first interested in expanding employment opportunities for African Americans, he was also interested in dealing with the need for adjustment and for social networking. In 1908, Hall joined with the Mars Lodge of the Oddfellows to organize Union Hall, which opened in 1914. Later, around 1928, the Colored branch of the YWCA on Central Avenue was closed after a series of events, and the Urban League identified the need for a community facility for educational, social welfare, and recreational activities. The Great Depression also was eroding the fragile economy for the African American population. Ed Hall arranged the transfer of the Central Avenue YMCA location to the Hallie Q. Brown Center, which became its own entity separate from the Urban League in 1930. By 1934, one-third of the residents of Ramsey County, Minnesota were on relief, and in the neighborhood around the center, at Kent Street and Aurora Avenue, nine out of ten people were on relief. Jobs for African Americans were sparse because railroads and packing plants had been laying off many employees. The Hallie Q. Brown Center provided nursery services for children whose mothers were seeking service jobs. S. Edward Hall was a lifelong member of the Center and was a President Emeritus at his death. [3]

The house was demolished by the City of Saint Paul in June 2011; an error at the Minnesota Historical Preservation Office failed to identify the house as a listed property on the National Register of Historic Places before its demolition. The property was de-listed in May 2016. "National Register of Historic Places Evaluation/Return Sheet: Hall, S. Edward, House" (PDF). 2016-05-23. Retrieved 2017-12-29.

Related Research Articles

Saint Paul, Minnesota Capital city of Minnesota, United States

Saint Paul is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center of Minnesota's government. The Minnesota State Capitol and the state government offices all sit on a hill close to the city's downtown district. One of the oldest cities in Minnesota, Saint Paul has several historic neighborhoods and landmarks, such as the Summit Avenue Neighborhood, the James J. Hill House, and the Cathedral of Saint Paul. Like the nearby and larger city of Minneapolis, Saint Paul is known for its cold, snowy winters and humid summers.

Prospect Park, Minneapolis Neighborhood in Hennepin, Minnesota, United States

Prospect Park is a historic neighborhood within the University community of the U.S. city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The area is bounded by the Mississippi River to the south, the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota to the east, the Burlington Northern railroad yard to the north, and the Stadium Village commercial district of the University of Minnesota to the west. The neighborhood is composed of several districts which include the East River Road area. The 1913 Prospect Park Water Tower is a landmark and neighborhood icon.

North Omaha, Nebraska

North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the east, as defined by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

Palmer Square United States historic place

Palmer Square is a public square and planned development in the heart of Princeton, New Jersey across from Nassau Street and Princeton University that today forms a collection of shops, restaurants, offices and residential spaces.

Near North, Minneapolis Community of Minneapolis

Near North is a community in Minneapolis northwest of the city's downtown area that contains six smaller neighborhoods. The community's neighborhoods of Near North and Camden are often referred to colloquially as "North Minneapolis". In the early 1900s, the Near North area featured the population center of Jewish people in the city, and since the early 1900s it has been the location of a sizeable African American population and a cultural hub of Black residential and economic development.

Madam Walker Legacy Center United States historic place

The Madam C. J. Walker Building, which houses the Madam Walker Legacy Center, was built in 1927 in the city of Indianapolis, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and as Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. The four-story, multi-purpose Walker Building was named in honor of Madam C. J. Walker, the African American hair care and beauty products entrepreneur who founded the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, and designed by the Indianapolis architectural firm of Rubush & Hunter. The building served as the world headquarters for Walker's company, as well as entertainment, business, and commercial hub along Indiana Avenue for the city's African American community from the 1920s to the 1950s. The historic gathering place and venue for community events and arts and cultural programs were saved from demolition in the 1970s. The restored building, which includes African, Egyptian, and Moorish designs, is one of the few remaining African-Art Deco buildings in the United States. The Walker Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Clarence H. Johnston Sr.

Clarence Howard Johnston Sr. was an American architect who practiced in the US state of Minnesota during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Specializing in domestic, religious, and public architecture, he served as Minnesota State Architect from 1901 to 1931. He is considered one of the most prolific architects in the state's history.

Pilgrim Baptist Church (Saint Paul, Minnesota) Historic church in Minnesota, United States

The Pilgrim Baptist Church located at 732 Central Avenue West in Saint Paul in the U.S. state of Minnesota is the building that houses the first Black Baptist congregation in Saint Paul. The congregation was founded on November 15, 1866, by Reverend Robert Hickman and a group of escaped slaves from Boone County, Missouri. They were smuggled up the Mississippi River on the steamer War Eagle with the help of Union Soldiers and the Underground Railroad. The current building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1928.

Neighborhoods in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota is noted for its neighborhoods. The city has been called "fifteen small towns with one mayor", owing to the neighborhood-based life of much of the city. Saint Paul is partially governed by not 15 but 17 City Districts.

National Register of Historic Places listings in Ramsey County, Minnesota

This is a complete list of National Register of Historic Places listings in Ramsey County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

Casiville Bullard House Historic house in Minnesota, United States

The Casiville Bullard House is a historic house in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It was built from 1909 to 1910 by stonemason and bricklayer Casiville Bullard (1873–1959), one of the few known African-American skilled workers active in the building trades in early-20th-century Saint Paul. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 for its local significance in the themes of black history and social history.

Frogtown, Saint Paul Neighborhood in Ramsey, Minnesota, United States

Frogtown is a neighborhood in Saint Paul in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Built around University Avenue, the Thomas-Dale neighborhood is colloquially known as Frogtown. Historically, Frogtown was a subsection of the current Thomas-Dale neighborhood. It is bordered by University Avenue on the south, the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks to the north, Lexington Parkway on the west and Rice Street on the east.

Edward C. Peters House Historic house in Georgia, United States

The Edward C. Peters House, also known as Ivy Hall, is a Queen Anne style house in Atlanta, Georgia. It occupies a lot covering an entire city block on the southeast corner of Piedmont Avenue and Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown Atlanta, just north of the SoNo neighborhood. Its current owner is the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Historic districts in Meridian, Mississippi Nine historic districts in Meridian, Mississippi, United States

There are nine historic districts in Meridian, Mississippi. Each of these districts is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One district, Meridian Downtown Historic District, is a combination of two older districts, Meridian Urban Center Historic District and Union Station Historic District. Many architectural styles are present in the districts, most from the late 19th century and early 20th century, including Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Italianate, Art Deco, Late Victorian, and Bungalow.

The numerous historic hotels in Meridian, Mississippi, provide insights into the city's growth and expansion, both in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and into the modern age. Many hotels were built in downtown Meridian in the early 1900s to provide lodging for passengers of the railroad, which was essential to the city's growth at the turn of the 20th century. Two of these historic hotels–the Union Hotel, built in 1910, and the Lamar Hotel, built in 1927–have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Marks African Methodist Episcopal Church Historic church in Minnesota, United States

St. Mark's African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church in Duluth, Minnesota, United States. St. Mark's has played a central role in Duluth's African-American community for more than 125 years. While other black organizations have dissolved or moved to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area, St. Mark's has been a local mainstay.

Summit-University, Saint Paul Neighborhood in Ramsey, Minnesota, United States

Summit-University is a neighborhood in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, that stretches roughly from University Avenue in the north, Lexington Parkway to the west, Summit Avenue to the south and to the east along John Ireland Boulevard, Kellogg Boulevard and Marion Street. Summit-University, Selby-Dale, St. Anthony Hill, Cathedral Hill, Woodland Park, Crocus Hill, Ramsey Hill, Hill District, Historic Hill District, Uni-Dale, North Quadrant, and Central Village all refer to parts of the neighborhood that is broadly known as Summit-University.

Carl F. Struck American architect

Carl F. Struck was a Norwegian American architect, who designed private residences, civic buildings and commercial structures throughout the Midwest in the latter part of the 19th century.

St. Paul's Rondo Neighborhood was the center of the black community in the Twin Cities for much of the 20th century. The Rondo neighborhood consisted of a working-class community, supported by social clubs, religious organizations, community centers and a thriving business community. It was demolished between 1956 and 1968, to make way for the construction of the I-94 freeway. Over 500 families were displaced from the neighborhood, as well as many businesses and community locations.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.