The Dinnie Brothers was a construction firm in

Grand Forks Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...

and

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

. They built over 60 percent of the commercial buildings in Grand Forks, and much of downtown Fargo after the Fargo Fire of 1893. Both brothers were born at

Dundas County, Ontario Dundas County is a former county in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was named after Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, who was the British Home Secretary (1791–1794), with responsibility for the colonies. Dundas was first settled by indiv ...

, Canada. They came to Grand Forks in 1881. Both of the Dinnie brothers, John Dinnie (August 24, 1853 – December 8, 1910) and James A. Dinnie, (February 7, 1863 – February 8, 1938) served as mayor of Grand Forks. According to a 1981 survey of historic resources in what was later designated the

Downtown Grand Forks Historic District Downtown Grand Forks is the original commercial center of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Located on the western bank of the Red River of the North, the downtown neighborhood is situated near the fork of the Red River and the Red Lake River. While down ...

area

The heyday of the resource area with its many beautifully constructed brick buildings corresponds to the era of fine craftsmen in bricklaying, between 1880 and the 1930s. Two of the outstanding bricklayers in Grand Forks were Sander Johnson and the Dinnie Brothers, John and James. The Dinnie Brothers firm was established in Grand Forks in 1881. John and James began as common bricklayers and expanded their business into the largest construction firm in the Red River Valley by 1909, at which time they owned extensive interests in brickyards in eastern North Dakota....
Sander Johnson laid brick for the Dinnie Brothers at the turn of the century and constructed his first building in 1907, laying the brick himself. Johnson's older brothers were employed by the Dinnie Brothers and Henry Johnson eventually took over the Dinnie firm in the 1930s.

Works by the firm include: *

Dinnie Apartments Dinnie Apartments is a building in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1994. Dinnie Apartments is included in the Grand Forks Near Southside Historic District, which was li ...

, 102-108 Fourth Ave. S, Grand Forks, ND (Dinnie Brothers) NRHP-listed *

Masonic Temple A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history In ...

, 413-421 Bruce Ave., Grand Forks, ND (Dinnie Brothers) NRHP-listed *

Ramsey County Sheriff's House The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office was designed by Haxby & Gillespie and was built in 1909 by the Dinnie Brothers. Also known as Lake Region Heritage Center, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Regist ...

, 420 6th St., Devils Lake, ND (Dinnie Bros.) NRHP-listed * New Hampshire Block, NRHP-listed

References

Grand Forks County, North Dakota People from the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry {{NorthDakota-stub