Ramsey County History – Spring 1983: “The Como Shops—Transformed into Bandana Square”

The Como Shops—Transformed into Bandana Square
Author: Nancy Tracy

In 1877, the Northern Pacific Railroad moved its headquarters to St. Paul from Brainerd. A few years later, the railroad built repair and maintenance facilities, opening the Como Shops in 1885 at the intersection of Lexington and Como Avenues. The new brick facilities included a machine shop, a blacksmith shop, paint shops, woodworking shops, upholstery shops, office and storage space, and a power plant. Many buildings were added over the next thirty-five years as the railroad increased the shops’ capacities. For all of these later buildings and additions, there was an attempt to blend the new construction and additions architecturally with older buildings. There was no additional construction after World War I. After World War II, the shops declined. Eventually, the city bought the shops and saved most of what remained. Many buildings were rehabilitated for new uses, the largest being a cluster named Bandana Square.
PDF of Tracy article