American Fraternal Union Building
Architectural Style
On the corner of Fourth Avenue East and Harvey Street stands an imposing tan-colored quarried stone building designed in the PWA (Public Works Administration) moderne style. The City Hall, the Post Office, and the former Community Center were also built in a similar style.
Built in 1933
Starting in 1933, this building served as the home office of the American Fraternal Union, a fraternal insurance company. The AFU was founded in Ely in 1898 and it remained open from 1898 until 2011, a total of 113 years. At that time, decision was made to merge the AFU with Catholic United Financial whose home office was in Minneapolis. The Ely AFU office was closed.
The building was shuttered and put up for sale. Kevin Richards bought the property for an undisclosed amount and used it for several years for storage. It finally caught the eye of John Ott of Alley A Investments who bought it in 2015. Currently owned by Alley A Realty (the Ott family), it is occupied by Ely Community Resources and Range Mental Health.
Learn More
Ely Community Resource has supported youth and families since 1978. Learn more about their mission and programming by contacting them.