With the sudden passing away of my friend Phil Murphy, the last owner of the florist business and greenhouses on Humboldt and Dowling, I thought I’d write this month’s column about the history of the florist businesses around that corner.
In 1904 W.C. Drake built greenhouses on the northeast corner of 38th and Humboldt named the Crystal Lake Cemetery Greenhouses, and Robert C. Stern built both a residence and greenhouses on the southeast corner of 38th and Girard called the Walton Park Greenhouses. By 1911 Stern was the manager of the Crystal Lake Cemetery Greenhouses and would buy them from Drake. The combined business would be known as Robert C. Stern Greenhouses and eventually would be called the Robert Stern Inc. Florists. Robert C. Stern built a smoke stack on the Girard Ave site in 1912, that according to a Minnesota State Florist Association history, was the tallest structure in Minneapolis until the building of the Foshay Tower. It was a thriving business and was well known for their flowers and arrangements. They would deliver flowers to stores downtown as well as clients in the Lowry Hill area of Minneapolis.
After Robert C. Stern passed away in 1923, his widow Wilhelmine “Minnie” Stern took over the business. She would have new greenhouses added to both the Humboldt and Girard sites. The couple had six children and when Minnie passed away in 1928, four of the children Eric, Julius, Otto and Robert W. would take over running the business. Julius would eventually take over sole ownership of the business with his sons Robert J. and Richard helping out. In 1961 the properties on Girard Ave were razed and a couple of apartment buildings were built in their place. That same year the current florist shop building was built on the corner of Humboldt and Dowling. When Julius Stern passed away in 1977, his son Robert took over running the florist shop and greenhouses until he retired in 1992 and sold the buildings. Four generations of the Stern family had worked in the greenhouses and florist shop, and had not only run a thriving business but were active in many civic organizations and the community. Many community members have memories of flowers bought from the Sterns for holidays, memorials, proms and weddings. With the selling of the last vestiges of the business that started 88 years prior was truly the end of an era.
In October 1992, Gregory and Sandra Murphy bought the shop and greenhouses on 38th and Dowling and opened Crystal Lake Floral Design and Orchids By Murphy. While they sold roses, lilies and all the other flowers you would expect at a florist shop, orchids were their specialty. Gregory and Sandra loved orchids and were both active in orchid organizations but it was Sandra who was known as the “Twin Cities Orchid Lady,” that was really the driving force behind buying the shop. The Murphy’s had a greenhouse behind their home, but it was Sandra’s dream come true to have an orchid nursery when they bought the greenhouses and shop. Gregory and Sandra’s son Phil would later join them in running the business. Sandra passed away in 2007. Gregory and Phil continued to run the business for years but after some robberies and Gregory being assaulted, they became a ‘by appointment only’ and mail order business. Gregory passed away in 2014 and just like his wife’s, his memorial service was held at the greenhouses that he loved. Phil sold the family’s shop and greenhouses to the Loppet Foundation in 2018 thus ending 114 years of florists on that corner.
Note: The Stern photos are courtesy of Jeanne Lindholm whose great grandfather Robert C. Stern started the family florist business and whose father Robert J. Stern the last owner of the business.