The French Building is the oldest on the Northfield historic district’s 300 block. It was built by H.S. French in 1872. The Northfield Post Office, the building’s original occupant from 1872 to 1893, bounced around the downtown until 1935 when it found a permanent location on Bridge Square. A confectionary, known as C.O. Morgan Kandy Kitchen, took up the mantle after the Post Office departed for the Scriver Building. Ideal Cafe, where former Northfield High School teacher Mark Thornton had his first date in the 80s, moved into the space in 1952. The Ideal went out of business in 1988 for a brief stint, but the town loved it so much that in 1992, it returned under a name new and old: the New Ideal Cafe. This was later replaced by a series of restaurant locations, most recently Tandem Bagels and Desi Diner.