The majority of Northfield’s downtown was built up between the years of 1855—when the town was founded—and about 1900. By then, most of the buildings that stand today were in place. This means that a lot of Division Street is pretty darn old! As such, a lot of work and thought has been put into maintaining, and at times reforming, the identity of the downtown over the years. Whether buildings ought to be preserved exactly as they appeared when they were built, or modernized to reflect the changed times, has always been a question in Northfield and in many small towns across the United States. There is always a balance to be found. This is not only a question of how we want these buildings to look and fit together cohesively; it is also a question of whether the architectural style fits the current owner’s vision for their store. It’s sometimes even a question of whether a building is still safe.

This conflict between preservation and modernization has seen shifts over the years. In the 1960s and 70s, when American architecture transitioned strongly towards functionalism in a movement that came to be known as brutalism, Northfield’s downtown saw changes that reflected that. In the years that followed, many buildings had their original features reinstated as preservation again became the more popular side of the debate.

A relevant example to us today is the Archer House lot at 212 Division Street. Following the 2020 fire and 2022 demolition, this lot stands empty. A proposal has gone through multiple rounds of approval for a new development here. Inevitably, these sorts of changes do alter the downtown’s character, and debates arise about both their practicality and aesthetic appeal. Change is unavoidable and necessary as technology and society evolve. In spite of this, after all these years, Northfield still feels like Northfield.

Northfield’s business landscape has been drastically shaped by the two colleges and resulting large young adult population. Just look at the Collegian Cafe, at 309 Division Street in the 1950s and 60s—it is in the very name that this establishment was centered around catering to the college student population. Between St. Olaf and Carleton, this demographic accounts for about 5,000 of Northfield’s residents, or nearly 25 percent of the population.

The colleges’ presences here drive business in Northfield. Hotels bring in profit from visiting parents and relatives. Oles and Knights frequent Northfield’s restaurants and coffee shops, and often find part-time jobs there too. About a quarter of the adult population here is employed by one of the colleges. The benefits of the colleges go down the line, and their existence is foundational to the character of our town.

The story of Northfield’s college students is in many ways interwoven with the story of its youth. For one, a large portion of the youth here are the children of faculty or staff at one of the colleges. Young people here are also quite civically and culturally engaged members of the community, inspired by the ideas generated at the colleges. Just look at the numbers—over half of Northfield’s population as of the last census is under 24 years old.

The large youth presence helps to ensure that the youth of Northfield do not go forgotten, and are recognized as valuable members of our community. Resources and programs like the Key, the Youth on Boards program, and—in the spirit of this project—the many businesses downtown whose main audience is youth—are all evidence of this. The business landscape of Division Street has also become more young adult and youth-centered in recent years with the establishment of locations like Northside Boards and Nautical Bowls.

A notable theme, obvious from a quick glance down Division Street, is the amount of locally owned restaurants that exist here. That has always been the case in Northfield. There’s a pretty good chance that in any building on this Digital Division tour, at least one of those classic “mom and pop shop” restaurants, cafes, or coffee shops has been there at one time or another.

These places are defining hallmarks of many American small towns. Just think of places like Hogan Brothers, the Quarterback Club, and Goodbye Blue Monday. Northfield wouldn’t feel the same without them. Through the ever-increasing existence of chains owned by big nationwide corporations, places like these have stuck around. In a small college town specifically, these mom and pop shop restaurants downtown are even more integral and meaningful to the community; they give students a homey place to connect to and make theirs. Countless memories have been made in spots like this over the years, and this will only continue.

Walking along Division Street on a summer afternoon and shopping around in all the downtown boutiques, gift shops, and antique shops is a favorite pastime of locals and tourists alike. In the 20th century, variety stores dominated this scene, whereas today, boutiques are more commonplace. The stock at these stores is made of almost entirely local artifacts, between locally made artisan goods, dish sets, old photos, and vintage clothes and furniture. It is easy to see the personality behind the goods in a store like this, and to understand the work and care that went into them.

Alongside the downtown boutiques are antique shops, amalgamations of different Northfielders’ belongings being purchased and given new lives by other locals. These stores exemplify a cycle of giving that exists in small towns. They in and of themselves are small museums of Northfield.

All of these stores with a varied assortment of goods serve a special purpose in a small town. They have a little bit of everything, and these spaces can at first glance seem cluttered, random, and without a specific intent. But, inside that “mess” is where countless townies find the plates they eat their dinner on for decades, the decorative pillow on their couch, the itchy sweater they give their kid for the holidays. These places sell not just items, but memories.

An issue that arises with looking at history from this time span is that the stories being told are, predominantly, stories that disproportionately highlight the work of white men. The contributions of women and black and indigenous people have often been lost to history, and while they are perhaps better represented on a local scale than a national scale, this problem still rings true.

Northfield was founded as an antislavery, pro-women’s suffrage community, and its founder, John North, was passionate about these ideals. Yet, nearly every building on Division Street is named after a white man. Lack of opportunity meant women and African Americans’ stories, particularly in the early business history of the downtown, were severely limited. And, of course, injustice exists within the history of the land on which these buildings stand. As the Northfield land acknowledgment reads, "We stand on the homelands of the Wahpekute and other Bands of the Dakota Nation.”

So, wherever we could throughout this project, we sought to elevate those stories of the efforts of these marginalized groups over the course of Northfield’s history. Without these efforts, Northfield would not be the town that it is today.