Digital Division
506 Division St
First Onstad Building
est. 1887
This is the first of the two Onstad buildings, and the second of five buildings in the West 500 Block hotel and mall complex built at the end of the 19th century. Also encompassed by this complex are the Holland Block and Olson Building to the north, as well as the Second Onstad Building and Northstar Hotel Building to the south. By 1907, when construction of all four buildings had been completed, grocer Nils Onstad was occupying this property at 506 Division. That year, he partnered with his brother and businessman Roy Moshier and expanded his store into the building immediately south, which also now carries the Onstad name. The two storefronts were renovated and unified with a big archway which has since been removed.
The buildings transitioned back into being separate retail spaces in 1921. September of that year, Charles A. Bierman—one of many successful sellers by the Bierman name over the course of Northfield's history—moved his shop in. He added an art department in 1923, and little did he know at that time that 506 Division would remain dedicated to the arts—in some form or another—for nearly a century.
The Hotel and Mall complex
506 Division would remain dedicated to the arts—in some form or another—for nearly a century.
In 1946, the Seilsets bought the building, and soon after, the shop was converted to a music store. Then, in 1961, the Hoffmans bought the space, moving in from the First Mergen Building. Hoffman Studio would stay here past the turn of the millennium, providing decades of great service to the community. Today, Mainstream Boutique’s stock of clothing can be seen lining the walls of the First Onstad Building—yet another name in the long line of art-centered businesses that have flourished in this space.
