River Inn is a historic building located in

Fergus Falls, Minnesota Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,119 at the 2020 census. History The falls from which the city gets part of its name were discovered by Joe Whitford (a Scotti ...

, United States. This was the third of three first-class hotels built in the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

. Completed in 1929, it replaced the

Hotel Kaddatz Hotel Kaddatz, also known as the Hotel Wm. Barkley, is a historic building located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, United States. Charles W. Kaddatz settled in town in 1886. He was involved in various commercial ventures when he started construction ...

as the city's premier hotel. with It also assured that the Federal Courthouse, located across the street, did not relocate to

Detroit Lakes Detroit Lakes is a city in the State of Minnesota and the county seat of Becker County. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsum ...

in the 1920s. The River Inn provided accommodations for judges, jurors, lawyers, and court visitors.

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

architect Vernon A. Wright developed the hotel and designed the building. His father was George B. Wright, one of the city's founders. Vernon Wright also co-founded the

Otter Tail Power Company Otter Tail Corporation is an energy company based in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Its main subsidiary is the Otter Tail Power Company. As of 2007, Otter Tail Power Company serves at least 423 towns at retail and delivers powe ...

. The four-story brick structure with

Indiana limestone Indiana limestone — also known as Bedford limestone in the building trade — has long been an economically important building material, particularly for monumental public structures. Indiana limestone is a more common term for Salem Limestone, ...

trim, features elements of the Medieval Revival style, the only commercial building downtown in that style. It was built by the Lauritzen Construction Company. While owned by Wright until his death in 1938, the hotel was managed by the Roberts Hotel Chain of

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who ...

. The building was extensively renovated after Al C. Kavli acquired the property in 1965, reducing the number of rooms from 96 to 15 and converting the rest into apartments. 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 1988.

References

Commercial buildings completed in 1929 Fergus Falls, Minnesota Tudor Revival architecture in Minnesota Buildings and structures in Otter Tail County, Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Otter Tail County, Minnesota Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota {{Minnesota-struct-stub