Anthony Waldman House - Anthony Waldman: Conversion To A House

Anthony Waldman: Conversion To A House

Following Amos, Anthony Waldman was the next occupant of the stone house. Waldman emigrated from Bavaria in 1853 and was in St. Paul by 1856. He first established himself in St. Paul as a successful woodmerchant, judging by a series of advertisements he placed for the sale of 200 cords of hardwood in the November 1857 Pioneer & Democrat (wood sold for between $5.00 and $6.50 per cord that year.) The following year (1858) Waldman was among the minority of St. Paul residents having sufficient wealth to be assessed for the City's personal property tax—in Waldman's case, on "30 cords wood." As noted above, Waldman's occupation is listed as "lager beer saloon" in the 1860 census—the same year he purchased the stone house. However, by 1864 the City Directories begin consistently listing his occupation as the owner of a “feed and flour” store, a trade Waldman continued for the next fifteen years. His store is variously listed at “3d n Eagle, Swain’s block” (1864 to 1866); “Seventh bet St. Anthony and Chestnut” (1867); “66 Fort ” (1868 to 1873), and finally at “114 Fort ” during Waldman’s two year business partnership with George Eaton.

Waldman's feed and flour store is never listed at his stone house address. A mortgage taken out by Waldman in May 1863 probably coincides with alterations to the stone building to convert it to purely residential use and appearance. In particular, the commercial storefront windows on the first floor were filled with stonework and two smaller windows to match those on the second story above. Apparently by this time the stone house was no longer a viable location for a retail business.