Now home to the Mahowald building, housing the St. Cloud branch of Gallagher Insurance, the beautiful building at 918 W. St. Germain was originally home to Schlough Motors, then became Baston Motors, a General Motors Chevrolet showroom and parts center in 1939. This dealership, along with several other auto dealerships, was housed in downtown St. Cloud until 1965.
Bert Baston was a college football player and, according to local historians, a line coach for the Gophers football team. He sold the dealership to the Gillelands in the late 1980’s. The historically heavy presence of automobile dealerships and repair shops does create environmental challenges for current tenants and property owners, however the lasting impact on the architecture in downtown St. Cloud is notable. Some buildings still have service elevators large enough for an automobile to be transported from one floor to the next. 918 W. St. Germain retains the large front doors, columns, and window design of its time.