WHAT IS THAT BUILDING WITH THE POINTY TOP?
It’s called Performance Place, and it serves as a preparation area or “green room” for those using the stage at the north end of the building. When the 22×28 foot building was constructed in 1889 in the park’s southeast corner it served for 17 years as the office of the first Superintendent of Minneapolis Parks, Captain William Morse Berry, during the latter part of his nearly 21-year tenure. His successor, Theodore Wirth, moved to accommodations next to the Board’s convening room in City Hall soon after taking office in 1906, and the building was used primarily as a tool shed after that. At some point it was moved a short distance to a location close to 15th Street, where it briefly hosted “Loring Park Place,” a sandwich and ice cream shop in the 70s. In 1998 it was relocated to its present site and restored to its original appearance, including a replica of the cupola which may have been removed as a result of storm damage early in its history. The restoration won the prestigious CUE
