404 3rd Avenue South
South Saint Paul, MN, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Serbian Home

Statement of Significance:

The Serbian Home, commonly called the Serbian Hall, was constructed in 1923 by Anthony Mlecsko for the members of South St, Paul's Serbian community;1 it was dedicated in 1924. It is significant under the statewide historic contexts of Railroads and Agricultural Development, 1870-1940, and Urban Centers, 1870-1940, and under National Register Criterion A, in the areas of Serbian ethnic heritage and social history, as an important center for Serbians who had recently emigrated from their homeland in the Balkan Peninsula and were seeking connections to their Southern European past. The Serbs came to South St. Paul to work in its meat packing houses, which were important in the development of the surrounding urban area, as well as in the development of the state'.*', railroad and agricultural industries. The Serbian Home was the official home of the South St. Paul St. Sava chapter of the Serb National Federation, a fraternal society established to serve the thousands of Serbs around the country. Throughout America, such Serbian fraternal societies, as well as those established by the members of other immigrant groups, played key roles in helping America's newcomers in their new lives, and to help them preserve their ties to their native country's social and cultural life. The structures that housed such ethnic fraternal societies, such as the Serbian Home, are historically significant as centers of ethnic communities within America.

Additionally, such structures symbolize the impact that the immigration of diverse peoples from all over the world has had on American history. Other fraternal organizations, such as the Masons and Elks, also built halls, but this research has only focused on ethnic-related structures.

The Serbian Home represents the South St. Paul settlement of Serbian natives in America during the late-nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Serbs are usually considered part of a larger group known as the South Slavs or Yugoslavs. Economic and political conditions encouraged South Slavs, made up of such cultural groups as the Croatians, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbians, and Slovenes, to come to America from the late-nineteenth century until the period after World War II. It is difficult to know how many South Slavs immigrated to the United States, because many scholars believe these groups were, under recorded, and, additionally, many of the immigrants ended up window on the main and balcony levels has nine lights in its upper sash, and one in its bottom frame. The structure's south and north walls have at their east ends a surface outlined as if it was originally designed to be a window but was instead filled in with brick. The basement is opened by windows about half the height of the windows on the main and balcony levels.

only levels. The interior of the structure is in good condition. On the main level, there is a large hardwood dance floor with an overlooking 16*x 43 balcony on the front end. Under the balcony is the front foyer, which includes a ticket booth recessed into the building's office, located at the southeast corner. Men's and women's restrooms are located opposite the office and ticket booth. There is a stairway to the basement in the structure's northeast corner. The inside walls are surfaced with plaster and painted. Stencils decorate the surface at the intersection of the wall and ceiling but have been painted over. Six paintings, five depicting Serbs in traditional dress, and one a musical instrument, decorate the main floor wall surfaces.

On the structure's west end is a stage with a 3'x 3' prompter cage and floor stage lights with removable wooden covers. Three dressing rooms flank the stage, and there is a set of enclosed steps leading to the stage from the main floor at the room's northwest corner.

The basement consists primarily of a room with a tile dance floor, although it also has a furnace/boiler room at the southwest corner; a kitchen at the west end; a 45 carpeted and mirrored bar; a raised band stage built into the basement's southeast corner; and a safe and storage area. The interior basement walls, except for the area below the porch, are plastered and faced with wood panel. The paneling and bar-related facilities were added since the structure was built.

The structure has always been utilized as an ethnic community social and educational hall. It is simple and utilitarian, resembling other ethnic halls in the immediate vicinity.