(49 East Broadway was built in 1892 & 47 East Broadway was built in 1898.)

Two brothers, John and Joseph Victor, opened a harness and shoe store at this site (47-49 East Broadway) in 1898. Joe managed the harnesses, and John was in charge of the shoes. Clothing was introduced in 1900, and the Victor Brothers store operated for four more years until Joe died of typhoid fever at the age of 28. John sold the business to Austin Koslosky and Joe Masog in 1904, and the store then was called the victor clothing company. In John’s thank you and goodbye letter to his customers, he reminded residents to save their trading coupons so that they could receive premiums. Austin Koslosky bought the building on the east corner of the Block (55 and East Broadway) from Pauline Victor in 1910. The Anderson hardware store building next door to the corner building (53 East Broadway) was purchased in 1924 and those buildings were joined with a connecting archway. The center building at one time had the same ornate pressed metal cornice that the west building has. The buildings are cream-colored brick in the Italianate style. Since 1892 furniture millinery, harness making, grocery, publishing, plumbing, cabinetmaking, undertaking, clothing, office supplies, self-defense schools, electronics, and insurance agencies have operated within these buildings.

Bryan Schoenberger purchased 47 East Broadway in 1997. Two years later he purchased the adjacent building (49 east Broadway). In the summer of 2001 he did an extensive interior and an exterior restoration of both buildings. Since then they have won an award from the Minnesota Historical Society for the beautiful results of the restoration.

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