Roberts Commons

Roberts Commons is named after one of Fargo’s original pioneers, Samuel G. Roberts. According to NDSU archives, Roberts “took up a quarter section of land,” which is now the northwest corner of Broadway and N.P. Avenue. Bordered by Roberts Street, 2nd Avenue North, and Roberts Alley, Roberts Commons is in the heart of downtown Fargo. Roberts Street is the only street in Fargo to be named after a person after the enactment of the Fargo City Ordinance of 1887 which sought to standardize street names to prepare for mail delivery. References to Roberts Street are found as early as 1881. As one of Fargo’s earliest settlers, S.G. Roberts lived on the street at 202 Roberts Street and his house was later moved to 1115 8th Street South in 1920. Read more about Roberts here.

Portrait of Samuel G. Roberts, created by Charles L. Judd, 1856-1936

The Columbia Hotel was located on the northeast corner of Roberts Street and 2nd Avenue North. It was a four-story brick structure with its entrance facing Roberts Street. It opened on October 1, 1888 and featured 100 electric lighted, steam heated, and superbly furnished rooms. Five years after opening, it was lost in the great fire of 1893.

Columbia Hotel, Roberts St. and 2nd Ave looking Southeast

The ruins of the building stood at the site for a decade, as did much of the entire block, until the location became the site of Fargo’s first public library, the “Fargo Carnegie Library.” Aided by a $20,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie, the new library opened January 26, 1903. A number of other buildings were constructed on 2nd Avenue between the library and the alley, most notably the Salvation Army.

All were razed at different points to make way for surface parking, including the library in 1970.

Until construction began on Roberts Commons in 2016, the property was a combination of both privately and publicly owned surface parking lots.