Digital Division
212 Division St
Archer House
1877 - 2022
In 1877, an innkeeper by the name of James Archer finished construction of what would go on to be one of Northfield’s most notable landmarks for nearly a century and a half—the Archer House. From construction until closure in 2020, it remained a beacon of our town and a destination for visitors a plenty. It was a place where Carleton and St. Olaf parents stayed when visiting their student, travelers looked for a true Northfield experience, or old friends stayed in their hometown. Through a series of owners and names, that vision was valued.
The Archer House building went through a long period of stability in ownership for much of the 20th century. After the brief change in name from the Manawa Hotel to the Ball Hotel, the space was purchased by G.R. Stuart in 1912, who subsequently redesignated it as the Stuart Hotel, its longtime name and one that it would hold until 1981 when the hotel finally reclaimed its historic title: the Archer House. And with it, under the guidance of the newly-in-charge developer Dallas Haas, it also reclaimed its heritage. The property had slowly been in decline over the past few decades, to the point where when Haas inherited it, although the hotel was still operational, time was taking its toll on the Archer House. Only about two thirds of its rooms were in commission. But, Haas had a vision, one that preserved the building’s antiquity and legacy.
In 2011 a 21-month, $1.1 million renovation was completed. Like Haas before them, the management team sought to preserve and reintegrate the history of the space, while also modernizing features. An open house was held to commemorate the culmination of these improvements. Six years later, when the Archer House celebrated its 140th year, it was “at one of its healthiest moments in its existence,” as a 2017 Northfield News article recounts. This chapter, however, came to a quick end. In July 2019, a fire broke out from the kitchen of a restaurant, Chapati, on the lower level of the Archer House. Damages were by no means irreversible, but the closure that resulted from the blaze was extended further after the breakout of the pandemic the following March. Then, in November 2020, the worst happened. A second fire emerged, this time from the Smoqehouse restaurant kitchen, and flames escaped the first floor and climbed up the building. Smoke poured out the windows as the fire department rushed to the scene. But, this time, there was little to be done to salvage what remained of the historic building. Demolition began in January 2022, and today the lot stands empty.
But, the Archer House lot is not destined to stay empty forever. A proposal for a new development in the lot has undergone multiple rounds of approval by the Northfield City Council. It harkens back to the historic name and brick design, while taking a more modern feel.