Built 1847 Opened 1847 Added to NRHP 12 December 1976 | NRHP Reference # 76001044 Area 4,000 m² | |
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Location 6666 E. River Rd., Fridley, Minnesota Architectural style Greek Revival architecture | ||
Banfill Tavern, also known as the Locke House, is a building in Fridley, Minnesota, United States, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1847 in the Greek Revival style, with architectural features such as six-over-six pane double-hung windows, a tripartite formal entry consisting of a central door with side lights and a transom, broken-pedimented gables, corner pilasters, and slender brick chimneys.
When it was originally built, it served as a summer residence and an office for logging operations in the area. In 1852 the Territorial Road (Red River Trail) was built a short distance from the house, and the owner, John Banfill, converted it to a wayside inn for travelers. It served as an inn until the 1870s, when the property became a dairy farm and began to be used as a year-round residence. In 1912 C.M. Locke bought the house and lived there until his death in 1947. It has been virtually unaltered since the 1870s, and remains an example of one of the earliest and best-preserved Greek Revival residences in Anoka County.
In 1988, an art center founded in 1979 partnered with Anoka County to move into Banfill Tavern after outgrowing its original site. The Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts supports local artists with exhibits and classes. The Banfill-Locke Center is within Manomin County Park, and is a partner site of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.