Red Wing
St. James Hotel
Built by 11 Red Wing businessmen and opened with a ball on Thanksgiving Day 1875; some rooms are in a 1970s addition, so ask for the 1875 building.
- Built
- 1875Constructed 1874-75 (nomination: 1874); opened Thanksgiving Day 1875. Red Wing Shoe Company's 1977-79 renovation added a section with offices and hotel rooms.
- Style
- Italianate
- Architect
- Brink, Williams and Company (builder/architect per the NRHP nomination)
- Type
- Inn
- Rooms
- 68
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Historic Hotels of America member
The story
Eleven Red Wing businessmen built the four-story Italianate hotel when the town was a leading wheat market, and it opened with a grand ball on Thanksgiving Day 1875. Railroad timetables were adjusted so passengers could dine there, and President Rutherford B. Hayes was among its guests. Charles and Clara Lillyblad ran it for decades from the 1910s, and their son Art, born in the hotel in 1916, took over in 1972. Red Wing Shoe Company bought and renovated it in 1977, and each room is named for a Mississippi riverboat.
Good to know
- Pets welcome
- Address: 406 Main Street, Red Wing, MN 55066
Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.