The Masonic Block in

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 ...

, also known as

Dakota Business College Dakota Business College was a small, private college in 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 ...

or Watkins Block, is an Early Commercial style building built in 1884. It was designed by Fargo architects Daniels & Proctor. The building gets its name from the fact that one of the original tenants of the building was a local Masonic lodge. The lodge rented the third floor of the building, which it used as a meeting hall (the lodge met in the building for only four years, from 1885 to 1889). Despite the name, the building is better known for its subsequent educational function. It housed Fargo College from 1887 to 1890, and the Dakota Business College from 1891 to 1978. and Today it is used as a purely commercial building. It is one of few commercial structures in Fargo that survived a fire in 1893. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1979. The listing included one contributing building, on an area of less than .

References

Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Dakota Commercial buildings completed in 1884 Buildings and structures in Fargo, North Dakota Buildings designated early commercial in the National Register of Historic Places Masonic buildings in North Dakota National Register of Historic Places in Cass County, North Dakota Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in North Dakota University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in North Dakota 1884 establishments in Dakota Territory {{NorthDakota-NRHP-stub