Case Study: Pence Auto Building, North Dakota

View of the rehabilitated building with new windows to match historic photographs.

Completed in 1920, the Pence Auto building is individually listed in the National Register as an outstanding example of an early 20th-century warehouse in Fargo, North Dakota. The ground floor was a car showroom, while the second and third floors were service and storage spaces. Over the years, the building was also used for a printing company and changes were made to the historic spaces.

Top and middle images: Views of the rehabilitated former show room, showing the retained terrazzo flooring and exposed structural columns.

Below: Historic view of the Pence Automobile building.

The rehabilitated building now houses a community medical center, and the project included the rehabilitation of three adjacent non-historic buildings that were integrated to serve the new purpose without affecting the historic structure. New use includes medical exam rooms, dental operatories, pharmacy, lab, and x-ray spaces, behavioral health services, community programs, and a wellness center. It was important to maintain the historic features and character of the building while providing a safe and clean medical environment for the new services.

This included limited changes to the industrial interior to maintain the former warehouse and showroom character while installing all new windows to match the historic documentation. Also on the exterior the historic brick and terra cotta detailing were cleaned and repaired and new compatible storefront windows were installed.