Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Tim Nelson

St. Paul's red '1st' not lit for now

The 1st National sign lit up in St. Paul.
The First National Bank sign in St. Paul, Minn. lit up at night. It has been a feature of the St. Paul skyline since the 1930s.
Courtesy Scott Amundson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

The 50-foot-tall flashing red "1st" sign atop a historic bank tower in St. Paul has gone dark after new owners shut it off last week.

Madison Equities bought the First National Bank building in November.

Vice president Scott Goltz said winter storms damaged the fragile neon lighting beyond repair.

An energy conservation project with Xcel Energy will include an upgrade for the sign to LED lights.

"Neon-to-LED actually will probably shine brighter in the midnight skies," Goltz said. "It will be polished up and it will look better than ever.

"That is the sign of St. Paul. The last thing we want to do is have that thing down. But unfortunately right now, we can't rush into anything and we want to make sure we do it right the first time."

The First National Bank Building was finished in 1931. The red "1st" blinked on top for decades, although it was dark during much of the 1970s.

Madison Equities hopes to have the landmark lit again by this fall.