The Conley–Maass–Downs Building, also called the Maass and McAndrew Company Building, is one of the oldest remaining commercial buildings in Rochester, Minnesota.[3]
History
The building in the 1908 Sears catalog
Originally built in 1900 by the Rochester Woolen Mill Co to produce pants made from wool fabric from their mill. The woolen mill company went bankrupt in 1903, and the factory was purchased by the Conley Camera Company (established by Kerry Conley and his brother Fred) in 1904.
The Conley company and the building were featured in the 1908 Sears catalog. They remained until 1909 when they moved to a larger facility on the north side of Rochester.[4]
Maass & McAndrew Plumbing and Heating purchased the building in 1910 and occupied it until 1955. Maass & McAndrew did much work for the Mayo Clinic and one of the family members, Frederic Maass, worked with Henry Stanley Plummer in designing the Plummer Building and later became Chief Engineer at Mayo.
In 2016, the new owners Hunter and Traci Downs undertook a $2.2 million restoration project.[6] The main level houses a restaurant called Bleu Duck Kitchen[7] and the upper-level houses commercial office space. In 2021, Google announced occupancy within one of the commercial office spaces - marking the first Google location in Minnesota.[8]
^Setterholm, Andrew (December 8, 2015). "New life for historic Rochester building". Rochester Post-Bulletin. Rochester, Minnesota. Retrieved 2015-12-08. The story of one of Rochester's most historic buildings is soon to open a new chapter: the Rochester City Council approved a funding agreement with the owners of the Conley–Maass Building that will allow a restoration of the 115-year-old property.
^Setterholm, Andrew (September 18, 2015). "History buff? Tour Conley–Maass building tonight". Rochester Post-Bulletin. Rochester, Minnesota. Retrieved 2015-12-08. From wool to Words: One of the oldest remaining commercial structures in the city is what we call the Conley Building at 12-14 4th Street S.W.
