Dassel's Mushroom Building brings people together, from oil mushroom to community landmark

DASSEL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A quirky mushroom-shaped building in Meeker County keeps people talking long after summer ends.

A landmark that's hard to miss

What we know:

The Mushroom Building is hard to miss. It has been a community fixture since 1931, when it first opened as a White Eagle oil station — complete with large white eagles sitting on top of each pump. 

"They never called it gas stations," said David Peterson, whose family once owned the building.

Peterson said his great-grandfather bought the lots from John Dassel. Over the decades, the building went from an oil station to a used car lot, where local instructors even taught students how to drive. By the early 2000s, the building was sold to the Dassel Area Historical Society, and Peterson said the deed and other records are now held there.

Today, the building's distinctive look still does the talking.

"People give directions, you know, turn at the mushroom building kind of thing," said Barb Erickson.

David Peterson, whose family has ties to the property, said his great-grandfather bought the lots from John Dassel. Over the decades, the building shifted from an oil station to a used car lot where local instructors even taught students how to drive.

From family hands to the community

Local perspective:

A man named John Belin bought two lots on the site in 1880. John’s son, Lewis Belin, was the designer and builder of wooden grain elevators all over North America and he built the Mushroom Building. The family operated it as an oil station.                 

Lewis was Peterson’s grandfather. 

"I have the deed and everything," he said. "Now the historical center has those"

By the early 2000s, the building was sold to the Dassel Area Historical Society.

Volunteers stepped in to clean and paint the place, but some original details were left right where they were — tin oil cans still sit on a wooden shelf, Red Rooster curtains hang as a nod to the city's agricultural roots and one of the original white eagles is still there, greeting a whole new generation of visitors.

"I ask people if you've been to the Mushroom Station in Dassel, they all know where it's at, so I think that's kind of cool," said Peterson.

The Mushroom Building in Dassel, originally built in 1931 as a White Eagle oil station

Summer nights and community vibes

Thursday night hangouts:

Thursday nights were the highlight of the summer season at the Mushroom Building — live music, bubbles, bikes, babies and ice cream all packed into one small spot. The building is tiny, so most of the action happens outside, with staff serving customers right out of a window.

"We have running water and a refrigerator and we just use that little space and then serve out of a window," said Barb Erickson.

Families enjoy their time sitting on the benches or ground, just talking with people in the community. It’s something they look forward to every year.

Julie Coleman Lindquist joked that it’s a good thing the events aren’t every Thursday night.

"We're a little more weight conscious now, so we don't do it every Thursday through the summer but it's a nice place to sit and say hello."

More than just a building

Why you should care:

The Mushroom Building does more than host events — it literally gives people directions. 

"People give directions, you know, turn at the mushroom building kind of thing," said Erickson.

There are several people from the Dassel Area Historical Society who remember what life was like before the summer events. 

"I have fond memories of walking from school, whether it was band practice or a parade that I'd been at, walking down to the Sinklair station, hanging out with my grandparents waiting for my parents to come in and pick me up," Jon Benson said. 

Benson is on the Board of Directors of the Dassel Area Historical Society. He said there was a time when nine gas stations were in town. 

But the mushroom building is the most unique. The building's eye-catching look pulls people in before anything else does. 

"It's the thing that gets noticed the most," said Benson. 

Once people spot the sign about the history center, curiosity does the rest. 

"Many times those people show up just to see what this is all about."

Lindquist said the rehabilitation of the building was a labor of love. 

"This was so fun because it had a name. Everybody knows it's a mushroom building. And we were instrumental in getting it rehabilitated," said Lindquist.

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