Harrington Mansion purchased by St. Mary's University of Minnesota

Aided by a $2 million anonymous gift, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is in the final stages of purchasing the $2.75 million Minneapolis' Harrington Mansion and Events Center on Park Avenue next to the university’s Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs.

University officials said in a press release they'll use it to expand St. Mary's graduate programs, community outreach services and for alumni events.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Purchase of the building, previously owned by the Zurah Shriners, includes the carriage house, modern events center, and more than 100 parking spaces on more than an acre and a half.

The turn-of-the-century mansion and carriage house, which together hold 30,000 square feet, will be used for online learning, office space, gatherings, performing and visual arts space.  The 54,000- square-foot event center, built in 1990, will be for university events as well as for public rental.

From the release:

The Harrington Mansion is an Italian Renaissance-style home built in 1902 for the family of Charles Harrington, who owned a grain processing and distribution business.  The home’s architects were Frederick Kees and Serenus Colburn, who also designed the Minneapolis Grain Exchange Building and the Loring Theater (now the Music Box Theater).

The Harrington Mansion was designated historic by the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission in 1988.  This designation protects the external integrity of the historic property while allowing Saint Mary’s to make modern internal renovations.

Saint Mary’s also announced it will begin a campaign to raise funds for renovations of the buildings.