The St. Croix Social Club is a concept by Shari Mogren.
It all begins with an idea. The following is all inspiration for the Social Club.
The St. Croix Social Club is a family-friendly, scenic retreat on the banks of the St. Croix River.
We offer gourmet, locally-sourced picnic baskets, s’mores kits, local craft beers, cocktails, wine, cider and lawn games. Come visit our space on the bluffs of the St. Croix River to enjoy a picnic, play a lawn game, or relax in an Adirondack chair or one of our heated stone benches around the fire. The Mill Bar specializes in simple, craft cocktails made from local spirits and garnishes from our on-site herb garden.
We celebrate the outdoors year-round at the Social Club. In the warmer months, we invite you to bike up via the Gateway State Trail, boat up to one of our slips, or wander over after an afternoon of browsing the shops downtown Stillwater to enjoy the Social Club. In the wintertime, glide up on your cross country skis to our outdoor warming house or rent one of our A-Frame Cabin Cabanas. Enjoy an après ski experience while sipping a hot toddy or mulled cider and gazing at the stars.
I love the idea of the Social Club so much that I built a prototype of it in the shed in my backyard. ;)
Follow our journey on Instagram.
Inspiration & Location: Downtown Stillwater
The existing Shoddy Mills property is comprised of a large, open grassy space and two structures: a large, black building with painted-on windows, and a smaller, stone structure. This would be reimagined into five spaces: the Living Room, the Deck, the Lawn, the Cabin Cabanas, and the Mill.
The Living Room
A two-story lounge and bar for meeting, working and events, our Living Room would be complete with floor-to-ceiling, steel windows providing sweeping views of downtown Stillwater.
The Deck
Overlooking downtown Stillwater, the deck is a bright, indoor/outdoor space with a variety of seating for eating and drinking.
The Lawn
This bright outdoor space would have plenty of space for eating and drinking, lounging on Adirondack chairs around fire pits, or heated cement benches enjoying the view. Imagine a chalet/apres Ski-vibe in the winter and a backyard BBQ in the summer.
Cabin Cabanas
The Lawn would host a row of A-frame Cabin Cabanas, which would be exclusive to members or available for day rentals. The two-story A-frame Cabin Cabanas would be fully outfitted with comfortable lounge spaces, a loft with kids toys (on request), Smeg mini refrigerators, and private decks with Solo Stove fire pits.
The Mill
This building is our muse: a ski-up, bike-up, stroll-up outdoor bar where you could grab cocktails, gourmet picnic baskets, ice for your cooler or freshly popped popcorn.
Inspiration
Imagine: food truck satellites by local St. Croix Valley restaurants // gourmet, locally-sourced picnic baskets (Eat My Fish trout spread, growlers from Lift Bridge Brewery, provisions from River Market Co-op, wine from St. Croix Vineyards, and more) // cozy picnic blankets by Fairbault Woolen Mill Co. // an elevated, yet unpretentious atmosphere // a coffee bar (out of a vintage camper trailer) // Adirondacks poised to take in the valley views // grabbing a cocktail or mocktail in a cheerful, indoor/outdoor experience you can enjoy with your whole family //
See more inspirations here: https://www.pinterest.com/sharimogren/st-croix-social-club/
Our proud history.
The Moritz Bergstein Shoddy Mill and Warehouse are two historic industrial buildings in Stillwater, Minnesota, United States, in which Jewish German immigrant Moritz Bergstein conducted a recycling business circa 1890 to 1910 providing materials for mattresses. They were originally built in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, around 1890 and were moved to neighboring Stillwater in 2012 to make way for construction of the St. Croix Crossing bridge.
The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 for having local significance in the themes of industry and social history. They were nominated as a rare surviving embodiment of Minnesota's early Jewish immigrants and their frequent participation in the waste materials trade. The St. Croix Social Club (resurrected in the warehouse space) will honor this proud history as a Green Facility, and it’s stone Mill bar will source cocktail ingredients such as mint and lavender from the on-site herb garden.
Image via.
Stillwater, MN
45.0560° N, 92.8088° W Stillwater, Minnesota
Founded by lumberjacks, Stillwater has a rich history. Today, Stillwater is consistently recognized as the Best Day Trip in Minnesota, known for the gorgeous river walk, charming downtown shops and most recently - The Gateway State Trail. A converted rail bed, the Gateway State Trail offers cyclists and other non-motorized users an 18 mile, mostly flat paved trail that starts in St. Paul and leads right to the St. Croix Social Club.
“The elastic heart of youth cannot be compressed into one constrained shape long at a time.”
— "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," 1876
