Digital Division
320 Division St
Third Mergen Building
est. 1901
Across the street from the first two, the Mergen family built their third fixture on Division Street in 1901. (Skip ahead to 321 and 323-325 before returning back here for a more sequential look at the three Mergen Buildings.) The smallest of the three storefronts, it has seen probably the most turnover in its visual appearance from Division Street. It began with an extensive facade that stretched past the building’s roof. This was later knocked back down to proportion, and the ground floor was redone with art deco glass tiles in the space above the awning and shop windows.
Art deco glass tiling on the building
Its look today is again different, as the squared windows visible in the photo were replaced by the arched ones you see today, the tiling and awning have both been removed, and the building has been repainted. Yet, that blocky face up top has been consistent for many years now. The Third Mergen Building remains a recognized historic landmark in the downtown.
For much of its history, the purpose of the Third Mergen Building has also stayed constant. Under the names Hulberg, Erickson, Swenson, and Stenstrom, the property at 320 Division housed a jewelry store for most of the 20th century until Stenstrom left and was replaced by Fine Print Bookstore in 1978. Since 2011, a new business has presided in the building. The Measuring Cup is the second business that husband and wife Steve and Jan Osterkamp have established downtown, along with the Monarch Gift Shop at 405 Division, in the Central Block.