MATTHEW K HARTMAN, photographer
Wayne/Palace Hotel
A. E. PERMAIN ARCHITECT OF THE RECKITT BLOCK BRIAN J. CARLSON
BIOGRAPHY
ARTHUR EDWIN PERMAIN was born in November, 1867 at Reading, Berkshire, England to Edwin and Mary Ann (Hall) Permain. There, in southern England, Permain was raised and received his education. As a young man, he went to London, where he studied architecture and the decorative arts in the schools and under architects of that city. At the age of twenty, Permain left for the United States, arriving at Detroit in April of 1888. In 1889, he went to Spokane, Washington, where he worked in the office of Kirtland K. Cutter, one of the leading architects in the western United States.
Permain came to Crookston in the Spring of 1891. He had been hired to design a commercial building for the Reckitt family of Hull, England, who owned a large amount of property downtown Crookston at that time. Soon after his arrival, Permain opened an office and began work upon plans for the new building. Upon its completion, he had a suite of rooms on the fourth floor of the Reckitt Block finished for his own use. While in Crookston, he received a number of other public, commercial, and residential projects. Among them were the Reckitt Block Annex (1892, now demolished); Barrette & Dufresne Block (1892, also known as the Erickson/Widman building); Olsen & Holen Block, Argyle, Minnesota (1892, demolished); A. C. Wilkinson residence (1892, 327 Houston Avenue); Polk County Jail (1893, demolished) and Crookston High School (1895, later known as Lincoln School, demolished).
Permain returned to Spokane about 1895. There he opened an office, eventually forming the partnership of Held & Permain, which specialized in residential work, and designed some of the city’s finest homes at the turn of the century. Permain also designed his own home there which was built in 1900. The house remained in the family for many years, and stands to this day. Unfortunately, Permain’s life and career were relatively short. He died at Spokane in December of 1902 at the age of thirty-five, after a brief illness. Permain was married to Lilla Amelia Back, also a native of England, on October 12, 1891 at Christ Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Arthur and Lilla had five children: Cicely Gertrude, born in Crookston, and Edwin Usher, Marjorie, John, and Gwendolen, all born in Washington.
THE RECKITT BLOCK
IN 1887, a group of British investors, led by Francis Reckitt, of Hull, England purchased a large amount of property in downtown Crookston from S. L. Dobson for the sum of $55,000. Reckitt was a successful manufacturer of household products, inheriting the business founded by his father, Isaac Reckitt. (Reckitt Benckiser, as it is known today, is now the world's largest household cleaning products company.)
In 1890, the Reckitts began making arrangements to improve their property at the corner of Second and Main, which was at that time occupied by a number of wood-frame buildings. In the spring of 1891, Francis' son Charles arrived in Crookston from England, along with Permain. Permain went to work on plans for a new commercial building to be built on the site, while Reckitt would remain in the city throughout the year to supervise its construction. During the following months, the existing buildings were removed, and the site excavated. In early August, the winning construction bid of $65,000 was wired to Francis Reckitt for his approval. The contract was awarded to Kilroe Bros. of Minneapolis, who began construction immediately. The building was completed by January 1892.
The four-story Reckitt Block was equipped with the latest conveniences, including steam heat, electric lights, and an elevator. Among the first tenants were G. M. Barbers' shoe store, Tom Morris’ Jewelry, and the Smith & Vine Meat Market. The upper floors contained a number of offices. The Palace Hotel originally occupied the entire third floor and was soon expanded to much of the building. The Reckitts had sold off their property in Crookston by the early 1900's. The hotel was owned by Dan McKinnon for several years. McKinnon extensively remodeled it in 1910, enlarging the lobby, and giving it frontage on both Main and Second Streets. It was reopened as "Hotel Wayne" around 1930, and operated under that name until the 1970's, when it was converted to apartments. The building is now vacant.
The Reckitt Block is constructed of pressed Roman-size brick with Kasota stone trim. Its massive base, rough-hewn stone, and multiple arches make it characteristic of the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture. The style was popular in the late 1800's for public and commercial buildings in larger cities, and influenced by medieval European architecture. Charles Reckitt was married to Crookston resident Blanch H. Vance in 1892 and continued to look after his father’s interests in the United States. He remained in the country until his death at San Diego in 1949.