Without a concerted effort, our state`s historic and cultural

Without a concerted effort, our state’s historic and cultural treasures are in danger of being lost to
time. The Minnesota Historical Society awarded a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant
in the amount of $7,000 to the City of Mankato. The grant was approved by the Society’s awards
committee on July 22, 2010 and will support its Historic Survey of 12 Properties for Local
Designation Project.
Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Minnesota Legislature
from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund created with passage of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy
Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution in November 2008. The grants are awarded to support
projects of enduring value for the cause of history and historic preservation across the state.
Historic Survey of 12 Properties for Local Designation Project
The Historic Survey of 12 Properties for Local Designation Project is a project of enduring value
because it will provide a list of properties to be listed on Mankato’s Local Historic Registry. The
project begins on October 1, 2010 with an anticipated completion date of February 1, 2011. The
project will include conducting historic surveys on 12 properties for potential local designation.
“It is wonderful to see so many communities and local organizations benefitting from the Historical
and Cultural Heritage Grants,” said Britta Bloomberg, deputy state historic preservation officer.
“Minnesotans should be proud of the unprecedented opportunities these grants provide for
organizations to preserve and share our history and cultural heritage. The impact of projects
supported by Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants will be felt throughout the state for many
years to come.”
City
of
Mankato
Historic
Properties
Survey
and
Local
Designation
Inventory
Form
Report
Prepared
for
the
City
of
Mankato
Heritage
Preservation
Commission
Prepared
by
Thomas
R.
Zahn
&
Associates
LLC
Spring
2011
Introduction
The
City
of
Mankato
is
proud
of
its
past,
and
cognizant
of
the
role
its
history
can
play
in
future
development.
Its
recent
efforts
toward
integrating
preservation
activities
into
city
planning
have
been
notable.
In
the
fall
of
2008
the
City
of
Mankato
approved
the
formation
of
the
Mankato
Heritage
Preservation
Commission
(HPC).
The
Commission’s
role
in
city
government
is
to
promote
the
principles
of
historic
preservation
through
education
and
to
help
facilitate
the
preservation
planning
for
Mankato’s
historic
resources.
With
the
City
Council’s
adoption
of
the
City
of
Mankato
Heritage
Preservation
Ordinance
in
October
of
2008,
the
City
began
the
process
of
seeking
recognition
as
a
Certified
Local
Government
(CLG).
The
nationwide
CLG
program
helps
local
preservation
groups
transform
themselves
from
grass‐roots
advocates
into
policymakers.
A
city,
county
or
township
with
a
qualifying
heritage
preservation
ordinance
and
HPC
may
become
a
CLG
by
applying
to
the
State
Historic
Preservation
Office
(SHPO)
of
the
Minnesota
Historical
Society.
CLG
status
enables
the
local
government
to
apply
for
federal
matching
grants
that
assist
in
the
preservation
of
local
historic
resources.
By
April
2009
the
City
of
Mankato,
through
its
HPC,
was
formally
recognized
as
a
Certified
Local
Government,
making
it
eligible
to
apply
for
CLG
grants
for
the
implementation
of
preservation
planning
projects.
Two
months
later,
in
June,
the
City
was
awarded
a
CLG
grant,
through
the
State
Historic
Preservation
Office,
for
the
development
of
a
historic
context
study
for
Mankato.
The
preservation
firm
of
Thomas
R.
Zahn
&
Associates
LLC
(TRZ&A)
was
selected
to
work
with
the
HPC
and
City
to
complete
the
study
that
would
serve
as
the
foundation
for
future
preservation
planning
within
the
community.
The
purpose
of
a
historic
contexts
study
is
to
focus
on
broad,
over‐arching
themes
that
provide
the
City
with
the
means
to
organize
and
evaluate
its
resources
and
lend
perspective
on
the
past.
By
developing
these
preservation
themes,
the
City
can
most
effectively
evaluate
current
resources,
designate
new
ones,
and
plan
educational
preservation
programming
for
future
generations.
With
the
completion
of
the
City
of
Mankato
Historic
Context
Study,
in
the
spring
of
2010
the
HPC
determined
that
its
next
initiative
would
be
the
implementation
of
a
local
designation
program.
At
its
April
meeting
the
HPC
began
discussion
on
which
properties
should
be
selected
for
local
designation
and
the
resulting
local
resource
protections.
To
gain
momentum
for
the
relatively
new
Commission
and
its
local
designation
process,
the
HPC
decided
to
secure
approval
from
the
owners
of
well‐known
historic
properties
before
selecting
their
buildings
to
be
surveyed
and
designated.
From
this
effort
eleven
property
owners
applied
to
have
their
properties
included
in
the
proposed
survey.
In
the
fall
of
2010
the
City
of
Mankato
published
a
request
for
proposals
for
the
architectural‐historic
survey
and
the
development
of
local
designation
inventory
forms
for
twelve
historic
Mankato
properties.
The
list
included
eleven
privately‐owned
properties
and
one
public
structure
and
site.
In
late
September
TRZ&A
was
selected
to
provide
historical
research
and
preservation
planning
services
in
completing
the
proposed
documentation
and
designation
forms.
Methodology
Prior
to
the
October
HPC
meeting
the
consultants
photographed
all
individually‐listed
National
Register
(NR)
properties
in
Mankato
and
began
collecting
on‐site
survey
information
on
the
potential
subject
properties.
The
consultants
then
met
with
the
Mankato
HPC
on
October
14
to
review
the
draft
inventory
form
and
to
discuss
the
twelve
properties
that
the
HPC
had
selected
for
the
survey.
Seven
of
the
properties
were
individually
listed
on
the
National
Register,
and
three
were
listed
as
“contributing”
components
of
a
National
Register
district.
The
two
remaining
properties,
the
Maud
Hart
Lovelace
House
and
the
Kenny
House
‐
both
on
Center
Street
‐
were
not
listed
on
the
National
Register,
but
are
considered
good
candidates
for
NR
listing
in
the
City
of
Mankato
Historic
Context
Study.
The
consultants
subsequently
returned
to
Mankato
in
October
and
November
to
do
further
historic
research,
additional
photography,
and
on‐site
evaluations
of
the
twelve
selected
properties.
Following
the
survey,
individual
inventory
forms
were
prepared
for
each
property.
The
historic
data
for
the
National
Register‐listed
property
forms
was
primarily
drawn
from
NR
documentation
prepared
in
the
1970s‐early
80s.
The
data
for
the
two
non‐listed,
Center
Street
properties
came
from
more
recent
sources
including
the
City’s
historic
context
study.
Where
necessary,
the
information
was
revised,
expanded
or
updated
based
on
recent
research
or
change
in
current
conditions.
Once
the
draft
inventory
forms
were
completed
the
City
staff
and
the
HPC
reviewed
the
documents
and
their
suggested
changes
were
forwarded
to
the
consultants.
Where
the
review
comments
improved
the
accuracy
or
clarity
of
the
survey,
the
forms
were
modified
or
expanded
to
reflect
that
new
information.
The
final
survey
forms,
this
project
report
and
all
contract
deliverables
were
submitted
to
the
City
and
HPC
in
March
of
2011.
Surveyed
Properties
112
South
Riverfront
Drive
—
Mankato
Union
Depot
204
South
Fifth
Street
—
Blue
Earth
County
Courthouse
220
East
Hickory
Street
—
First
Presbyterian
Church
228
East
Pleasant
Street—
Adolph
O.
Eberhart
House
301
North
Riverfront
—
Stahl
House
301
South
Fifth
Street
—
Old
Main,
Mankato
State
Teachers
College
325
North
Riverfront
—
Heilscher
Physician
Building
329
North
Riverfront
—
Wenzl
Huttl
Tailor
Shop
332
Center
Street
—
Kenney
House
333
Center
Street—
Maud
Hart
Lovelace
House
603
South
Second
Street
—
Lorin
Cray
House
606
South
Broad
Street
—
R.D.
Hubbard
House
Survey
Inventory
Form
In
preparation
for
the
on‐site
survey
and
the
October
meeting
with
the
HPC,
the
consultants
developed
a
draft
inventory
form.
(See
attached
form.)
The
form
layout
includes
tables
for
PROPERTY
LOCATION
and
PROPERTY
INFORMATION.
The
narrative
of
the
inventory
form
includes
sections
on:
Description;
History;
Evaluation;
Integrity;
and
Condition.
The
narrative
is
followed
by
a
listing
of
sources
used
in
the
historical
research
and
documentation
on
the
individual
properties.
To
support
the
narrative,
both
historic
and
current
photographs
are
incorporated
into
the
individual
forms.
The
photographs
are
followed
by
copies
of
early
Sanborn
Fire
Insurance
Maps
showing
the
subject
properties
as
originally
constructed.
Property
Name:
Historic
buildings
are
typically
named
for
their
significant
historic
associations.
With
a
residential
building
this
is
usually
the
name
of
the
first
owners,
or
in
some
cases
a
subsequent
owner
who
achieved
significant
recognition
for
contributions
to
the
community,
state
or
nation.
Historic
commercial
buildings
are
generally
named
after
the
first
business
or
business
owners
of
the
property.
Civic
properties
most
often
retain
their
original
use
name
Inventory
No.:
Inventory
numbers
were
added
to
the
forms,
which
had
previously
been
assigned
by
the
Minnesota
SHPO.
PIN,
Plat,
Block
and
Lot:
The
PIN
(Property
Identification
Number),
plat,
block
and
lot
data
was
provided
by
the
City
of
Mankato.
Date
of
Construction:
Most
dates
of
construction
were
provided
in
the
National
Register
nominations
or
from
City
records.
NR
Status
and
NR
Recommendation:
The
National
Register
status
indicates
the
property’s
current
status,
which
is
recorded
by
date‐listed
for
the
individually
listed
properties,
and
by
district
name
and
date‐listed
for
contributing
properties
in
the
North
Front
Street
Commercial
District.
The
NR
Recommendation
indicates
the
consultant
recommendations
for
its
designation
status
as
a
result
of
the
survey.
Description:
The
descriptions
of
the
properties
were
primarily
based
on
the
information
provided
in
previous
National
Register
nominations.
These
descriptions
were
carefully
reviewed
for
accuracy
and
to
reflect
changes
that
have
occurred
since
the
nominations
were
prepared
in
the
late‐1970s
to
early‐80s.
Where
necessary,
they
were
revised
accordingly.
History:
As
noted
above,
for
the
NR‐listed
properties
much
of
the
historic
narrative
came
from
the
original
National
Register
nominations.
The
historical
background
for
the
Center
Street
houses
came
from
the
narrative
prepared
for
the
City
of
Mankato
Historic
Context
Study
and
from
further
research.
Evaluation:
In
most
cases
the
properties
were
already
NR‐listed
and
continue
to
be
eligible
for
listing.
For
the
Center
Street
houses
the
consultants
recommended
full
registration
as
part
of
a
Multiple
Properties
submission
including
several
of
the
landmarks
of
Maud
Hart
Lovelace’s
books.
Integrity:
A
statement
of
integrity
was
prepared
for
each
property
based
on
current
conditions.
Integrity
is
evaluated
on
the
close
relationship
between
a
property’s
historical
significance,
period
of
significance,
and
its
ability
to
convey
that
significance
based
on
its
current
physical
situation.
Condition:
Although
not
typically
included
on
Minnesota
Architecture‐History
Inventory
forms,
the
consultants
made
an
on‐site
assessment
of
condition
for
each
property.
It
should
be
cautioned
that
the
condition
assessment
provides
only
brief
observations
of
condition
issues
apparent
from
the
exterior
at
ground
level.
In
no
way
should
the
condition
assessment
be
construed
as
an
evaluation
of
structural
condition
or
integrity.
In
all
cases,
use
of
the
Secretary
of
the
Interiors
Standards
and
Guidelines
for
the
Treatment
of
Historic
Properties
should
be
followed.
Sources:
Each
inventory
form
included
a
listing
of
the
information
sources
for
that
particular
site.
The
following
is
a
listing
of
all
the
sources
used
in
this
study,
the
resulting
forms
and
finals
report:
•
Betsy‐Tacy
Society.
Deep
Valley
Sun
newsletters.
2008‐2009
•
Betsy‐Tacy
Society
website.
http://www.betsy‐tacysociety.org.
Accessed
October‐November,
2010.
•
Dailey,
W.R..
Henry’s
Official
Western
Theatrical
Guide.
1908.
•
First
Presbyterian
Church
website,
http://fpcmankato.org/.
Accessed
November
2010.
•
Gimmestad,
Dennis.
National
Register
nominations
completed
January
1980.
•
Gebhard,
David
and
Tom
Martinson.
A
Guide
to
the
Architecture
of
Minnesota.
Minneapolis:
University
of
Minnesota
Press,
1977.
•
Hughes,
Thomas.
History
of
Blue
Earth
County,
and
Biographies
of
Its
Leading
Citizens.
Chicago:
Middle
West
Publishing
Company,
assumed
1909.
•
Hubbard
House
website,
http://www.bechshistory.com/hubbard_house/history.html.
Accessed
November,
201
•
Hughes,
Thomas.
History
of
Blue
Earth
County,
and
Biographies
of
Its
Leading
Citizens.
Chicago:
Middle
West
Publishing
Company,
assumed
1909.
•
Huttl
Genealogy
data.
http://mysite.verizon.net/dscordes/genealogy/database/dat19.html.
Accessed
November,
2010.
•
Kent,
Tanner.
“Betsy,
Tacy
House
Named
Literary
Landmarks.”
Mankato
Free
Press,
May
5,
2010.
•
Linehan,
Dan.
Various
Cray
House
articles
for
the
Mankato
Free
Press:
January
11,
2007,
April
4,
2007,
February
11
2008,
February
12
2008,
February
16
2008,
March
1
2008,
October
14
2008,
April
25
2009.
•
Logue,
Mary
and
Doug
Ohman.
Courthouses
of
Minnesota.
Saint
Paul:
Minnesota
Historical
Society
Press,
2006.
•
Lorin
Cray
House
architect’s
drawings
and
photos
of
the
house
for
the
YWCA,
circa
1973.
•
Lovelace,
Maud
Hart.
The
Deep
Valley
(Betsy‐Tacy)
books.
•
Mankato
Area
Chamber
and
Convention
Bureau,
http://www.mankato.com/cvb/depot/index.html,
accessed
October,
2010.
•
Mankato
YWCA
web
page,
http://www.mankatoywca.org,
accessed
November,
2010.
•
Marquis,
Albert
Nelson.
The
Book
of
Minnesotans.
Chicago:
A.N.
Marquis
and
Company,
1907.
•
No
author
cited.
Mankato,
Its
First
Fifty
Years.
Mankato:
Free
Press
Printing
Company,
1903.
•
Old
Main
Village
web
page,
http://www.oldmainvillage.com/.
Accessed
October,
2010.
•
Phone
interview
with
Julie
Schrader,
October
2010.
•
Roise,
Charlene.
Old
Main
National
Register
nomination
completed
December,
1982.
•
Schrader,
Julie
A.
Maud
Hart
Lovelace’s
Deep
Valley.
Minnesota
Heritage
Publishing,
Mankato,
2002.
•
Schuster,
Marcia
and
Charlie
Nelson.
Hubbard
House
National
Register
nomination
completed
February,
1976.
•
Stark,
William
E.
and
Thomas
R.
Zahn
&
Associates
LLC.
City
of
Litchfield
Downtown
Historic
Resources
Resurvey
October
2009.
•
Wikipedia
page,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorin_Cray_House,
accessed
November,
2010.
•
Wikipedia
page,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renesselaer_D._Hubbard_House.
Accessed
October,
2010.
Sanborn
Maps:
From
the
mid‐19th
through
the
mid‐20th
century
the
Sanborn
Fire
Insurance
Map
Company
produced
detailed
maps
for
the
purposes
of
assessing
the
risk
of
fire.
The
maps
offer
excellent
detail
on
building
shape,
height,
materials,
and
often
use.
Maps
for
Mankato
used
in
this
study
include
the
years
1884,
1889,
1894,
1900,
1908,
and
1924‐48.
These
maps
were
consulted
to
provide
additional
information
in
the
historical
narrative,
and
confirming
or
clarifying
construction
dates
or
alterations.
Cropped
segments
of
the
Sanborn
Maps
showing
the
entire
block
where
the
specific
building
is
located
were
included
on
the
inventory
forms.
However,
not
every
year
listed
above
was
included
on
any
one
inventory
form.
Specific
years
were
selected
to
illustrate
the
earliest
configuration
of
the
extant
building
and
where
the
map
showed
changes
or
other
information
pertinent
to
its
history.
Deliverables
The
project
compact
disk
contains
folders
for
each
of
the
twelve
properties.
Each
of
the
twelve
folders
contained
a
completed
inventory
form
(PDF
format),
folders
for
both
current
and
historic
photographs
(JPEG
format),
and
if
available
one
or
more
Sanborn
Insurance
Maps
(JPEG
format).
A
copy
of
this
final
report
(PDF)
is
also
on
the
CD.
While
new
fields
and/or
narrative
may
be
added
to
the
inventory
forms
as
needed,
only
the
consultants,
through
a
City
request,
should
make
modifications
to
the
original
forms.
MANKATO
MINNESOTA
ARCHITECTURE‐HISTORY
INVENTORY
FORM
Property
Location
Property
Name:
Inventory
No.
Address:
County:
Blue
Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
Plat:
Block:
USGS
Quad
Lot:
Architect:
Date
Const:
Historic
Use:
Property
Property
Information
Style:
State
Historic
Context:
Local
Historic
Context:
Present
Use:
Survey
Name:
Mankato
Local
Designation
Survey
Type:
NR
Status:
NR
Recommendation:
Prepared
by:
Thomas
R.
Zahn
&
Associates
LLC
Thomas
Zahn,
Principal
Bethany
Gladhill,
Associate
Survey
Date:
October
2010
Description:
History:
Evaluation:
Integrity:
Condition:
Sources:
Photographic
Documentation:
Sanborn
Map
Documentation:
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Mankato Union Depot
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-287
Address:
112 South Riverfront Drive
(aka 112 Pike Street)
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010907351003
Plat Name:
Original Town
Block:
001
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
001
Property Information
Architect:
J.B. Nelson and Co (contractor)
Style:
Depot
Date Const:
1896 (with later additions)
State Historic Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Context:
Transportation
Historic Use:
Train Depot
Present Use:
Offices
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Listed July 28, 1980
NR Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn & Associates
LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha/Chicago Northwestern Depot is a long, sprawling building along
Riverfront Drive whose original use is extremely evident. The large building is of red brick and Mankato stone, with wood
trim. The central section is two stories, with one-story extensions to the north and south ends. A covered but open-walled
passenger waiting area runs along the entire west side of the building. The broad, hipped roofs, currently clad in asphalt,
are dominant.
The main section (1896) is a two-story, rectangular building, with full-height pavilions on the NW and SE facades and a 3sided bay with a vaulted roof on the NE. These ornamental areas feature stone coping and banding. Double-hung
windows are grouped single and doubly, with the first floor sets capped by flat arches. The covered passenger waiting
area along the western side was part of the original design, though it was later extended to the north.
The southwestern extension was constructed contemporaneously with the main building as a baggage area. Between
1896 and the 1920s, various additions were made, so that by 1924 all of the one-story extensions had been added,
providing increased baggage space and a dining room. These additions were similar in style and scale to the main
structure, so the entire effect was that of one continuous whole.
MANKATO
UNION
DEPOT
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Architecture‐History
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History:
By the end of the 1800s, four separate rail lines ran through Mankato: the Minnesota Valley Railroad (later renamed the
“Chicago, Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha line,” called the “Omaha line” or “CStPM&O” for short — now the Union
Pacific), the Chicago and North Western line (“CNW,” now the DM&E), the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul and the
Minneapolis-St. Louis (later purchased by Chicago Great-Western). Originally, each line maintained its own depot, which
was the cause of some confusion and of great traffic between by those changing lines. One of the most notable related
events was the death in Mankato of Vice President Schuyler Colfax in the Milwaukee Depot on January 13, 1885; it was
thought that the extreme cold he faced while transferring between the Front Street and Omaha Depots led to the heart
attack that killed him.
In 1896, soon after the Omaha moved its lines from their original location along Fourth Street (the Washington Park
neighborhood) to the riverfront, it collaborated with the CNW to build a new depot serving both lines. The Union Depot
was located at 112 Pike Street, and currently stands as the only surviving railroad depot in the thirteen Blue Earth
townsites where the railroad played a major developmental role. Pike Street had originally included many railroad-related
resources, but all of those save the depot were lost by the time the road changed its name to Riverfront Drive in 1978.
The importance of the rail lines to the city of Mankato meant that the depot area became a pivotal element in the
development of the city. The area immediately around the depot was used for railroad resources, but the nearby Front
Street commercial district developed a strong relationship to the rail lines. Many high end hotels and fine restaurants
were built for travelers’ convenience, and even high-end department stores, such as Brett’s, offered lounges where
travelers could rest and conduct business while waiting for their train.
The fact that the Union Depot is so evocative of this period, and that it is the key remaining railroad resource in Mankato
and the only depot left in the thirteen nearby townsites, gives the Union Depot particular importance in the preservation of
Mankato’s history. Its appropriate reuse, good condition and integrity strengthen that role.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register and continues to be eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
The depot retains strong integrity, both physically and spatially.
Physically, the alterations made to the building for its adaptive use as an office building are minimal and reversible. The
wood trim has been painted and exterior lighting added, but these changes are sympathetic to the building’s style. Each
façade has been altered somewhat, as detailed below.
The majority of the changes have been on the north end (off of the parking lot) where the doorway has been modified and
the windows have been blocked down. Old photos show that the covered passenger waiting area originally continued
past the building a number of yards to the northeast; the majority of that extension was removed in the 1950s. The
nd
roofline at that end has also been altered, which partially covers the 2 floor façade.
On the west side of the building, the covered passenger waiting area has been retained, so that the building is still
identifiable as a depot. The multiple (5 single and 2 double) doors leading from the inside waiting room to the tracks have
been blocked in, but they still retain their rhythm and sense of function; many still retain their Mankato stone steps as well.
nd
A fire exit from the 2 floor has been added along this façade. Unobtrusive bollards separate this area from the stillextant train tracks.
The south end of the building is the least changed, and has a small garden area with benches. In general, the
landscaping around the property is appropriate and encourages use of the space. Many of the outdoor areas, especially
on the south and east sides, are paved in brick, and it would be interesting to know where this brick came from if it is
reused. The Mankato Chamber of Commerce maintains a tourism information office located in a small converted railcar
at the southwest corner of the site.
MANKATO
UNION
DEPOT
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Architecture‐History
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The front (east) façade of the building also remains relatively unchanged, with the original main door of the depot used as
the primary door to the building. There have been some changes made to the main doors, but the entry itself retains its
original sense. The electrical sign, while likely very visible from Riverfront Drive, is distracting and incongruous.
Before the depot was constructed, this was a steamboat dock site, but no trace of that resource remains.
Spatially, the depot retains a relationship to the railroad tracks, which still run along its west side. Its location — slightly
isolated along Riverfront Drive — retains historic integrity. The relationship to the river has been slightly changed due to
recent flood control efforts.
Condition:
The exterior of the building appears to be in very good condition. The brickwork and foundation stones are well pointed,
and the wooden trim, painted in cream, green, and maroon, is well-kept.
There are a few minor issues that the consultants would expect are generally addressed in the regular maintenance
schedule. These include some mild staining, spaling, and efflorescence in the brickwork, particularly at the main
entrance. There is also some wood rot on the roof trim at the north end of the building.
Sources:
‐
Gimmestad, Dennis. National Register nomination completed January 1980.
‐
Mankato Area Chamber and Convention Bureau, http://www.mankato.com/cvb/depot/index.html, accessed
October, 2010.
‐
Hughes, Thomas. History of Blue Earth County, and Biographies of Its Leading Citizens. Chicago: Middle West
Publishing Company, assumed 1909.
Photographic Documentation:
Union Depot 1910
MHS photographic archives
MANKATO
UNION
DEPOT
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Minnesota
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Inventory
Form
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Union Depot east façade
Union Depot north façade
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UNION
DEPOT
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Minnesota
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Inventory
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Union Depot west façade
Union Depot window/door detail
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UNION
DEPOT
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Minnesota
Architecture‐History
Inventory
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Sanborn Map Documentation:
The Mankato Union Depot as it appeared 4 years after construction in the 1900 Sanborn Maps.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Blue Earth County Courthouse
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-236
Address:
204 South Fifth Street
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010918134001
Plat Name:
Original Town
Block:
050
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
000
Property Information
Architect:
Healy & Allen, Minneapolis
Style:
Renaissance (French and Italian)
Revival
Date Const:
1886-1889
State Historic Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Context:
Architecture, Politics/Government
Historic Use:
Courthouse
Present Use:
Courthouse
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Listed July 28, 1980
NR Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn &
Associates LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
The courthouse is rectangular in shape and symmetrical in design, in a mixture of Italian and French Renaissance styles.
The main façade is dominated by a central projecting entrance portico, with stone steps leading to key-stoned, arched
openings. The entrance is topped by a four-story tower, culminating in a copper dome and adorned with a statue of Lady
Justice. The other facades are also symmetrical, with the corners of the building accented by distinctive dormered
pavilions and pilasters.
The major construction material is buff-colored Mankato stone in a variety of finishes. A banded effect is achieved by
alternating courses of smooth and rock-faced stone. These stand in contrast to the rusticated stone foundation, separated
from the main walls by a double sill of finished blocks. The slate roof is a hipped mansard, further defined by broad
cornices and the corner pavilions.
The distinctive treatment of the exterior is accentuated by the windows, which are clustered in groups of three, separated
by smaller pilasters and capped by single segmented arches, while accented underneath with corresponding blocks.
The imposing presence of the courthouse is due not only to its eclectic style, but also to its location just outside of the city
center, situated on a hillside and surrounded by a wide-open square.
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EARTH
COUNTY
COURTHOUSE
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Minnesota
Architecture‐History
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History:
Mankato was designated as the county seat in 1853, and a small, one-story courthouse was constructed in 1857.
However, county commissioners felt that the original courthouse was a "disgrace and gave strangers [the impression]
that we were behind the times. That the county was either poverty stricken or greatly lacking in enterprise. " (SIC) (Logue,
Mary and Douglas Ohman, Courthouses of Minnesota). The current Blue Earth County Courthouse was not begun until
1886 — thirty-five years after the land was designated and surveyed — and was finally completed in 1889. Designed by
the Minneapolis firm of Healy and Allen, the contractors were Ring and Tobin of Minneapolis, who maintained a local
quarry in order to have access to good quality, aesthetically compatible stone. The elaborate use of stonework and
variety of external design features made the building distinctive from the outset, as did the large courthouse square.
These proved to be expensive amenities, however, as construction ran almost $50,000 over its $75,000 original budget.
Nevertheless, the new courthouse was remarked upon as one of the “finest in the state,” and it remains an outstanding
th
example of Minnesota’s late 19 century courthouses.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register and continues to be eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
In general, the courthouse retains extremely strong integrity.
1965 and 1988 remodelings completely gutted and redesigned the interior of the building; though the original floor plan
was lost, these renovations allowed for the extra space needed without any exterior additions, which preserved the
integrity of the exterior. The building’s sense of place is especially maintained by the preservation of the large courthouse
square, which fills an entire city block. A few mechanical units near the building encroach upon this space, but in general
the retention of the open square retains remarkable spatial wholeness.
The building itself also retains strong integrity. The majority of the alterations have been to the windows and doorframes,
which have been replaced by aluminum. The tops of the windows on the front façade have also been slightly blocked
down, but this appears reversible and is not distracting. Finally, some ADA-related alterations have been made, including
railings around the entrance, but again, these are relatively minor.
However, the distinctive stonework of the building and the general design and massing have not been changed; coupled
with the courthouse’s sense of place, the property is considered to have very good historic integrity.
Condition:
th
The exterior of the building appears to be in very good condition. There is some minor staining of the stone above the 4
floor windows on the front façade.
Sources:
‐
Gimmestad, Dennis. National Register nomination completed January 1980.
‐
Gebhard, David and Tom Martinson. A Guide to the Architecture of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press, 1977.
‐
Hughes, Thomas. History of Blue Earth County, and Biographies of Its Leading Citizens. Chicago: Middle West
Publishing Company, assumed 1909.
‐
Logue, Mary and Doug Ohman. Courthouses of Minnesota. Saint Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press,
2006.
BLUE
EARTH
COUNTY
COURTHOUSE
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Minnesota
Architecture‐History
Inventory
Form
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Photographic Documentation:
Courthouse 1903
Courthouse west elevation
MHS photographic archives
BLUE
EARTH
COUNTY
COURTHOUSE
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Minnesota
Architecture‐History
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Courthouse south & east elevations
Sanborn Map Documentation:
The Blue Earth County Courthouse and grounds as they appeared in the 1889 Sanborn Insurance Maps.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
First Presbyterian Church
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-280
Address:
220 East Hickory Street
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010918129011
Plat Name:
Original Town
Block:
028
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
007
Property Information
Architect:
Warren H. Hayes,
Minneapolis
Style:
Richardsonian Romanesque
Date Const:
1896
State Historic Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Context:
Architecture, Exploration/Settlement
Historic Use:
Church
Present Use:
Church
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Listed July 28, 1980
NR Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn &
Associates LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
First Presbyterian Church, designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style by Minneapolis architect Warren H. Hayes,
was dedicated in 1896. The church itself is constructed of locally quarried, buff-colored, rusticated Mankato stone. There
is some ornamental banding of the stone, as well as curved accents over the window openings. The additions are of brick,
with the 1927 classroom annex featuring a stone façade in the elevation facing Second Street.
The church’s predominant feature is a large, square corner bell tower with an octagonal spire. The square base of the
tower incorporates arched openings at the belfry level. The tower still houses the original Ladies Auxiliary bell, first
purchased in 1857. It is echoed by a smaller tower with a pyramidal roof and central lantern, facing Hickory Street.
The two principal street facades are coped, gabled walls with central, arched stained glass windows. On the Second
Street side, there is a semi-circular bay (holding the interior balcony staircase) between the front door and the main
window.
There are five entrances to the church (including secondary entrances), with a corner main entrance, and other prevelant
entrances on the Second Street and Hickory Street sides. All are delineated with carved stone.
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PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
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History:
The First Presbyterian Church was the first congregation to formally begin religious activities in Mankato, with Elder
James Hanna offering a Sunday school out of his home starting in 1853. Actual church services did not follow until 1855,
and their first dedicated church building (a small log structure) was constructed in 1864. The congregation quickly outgrew
that building, built another, and then outgrew that. This building, then, is their third sanctuary.
The church’s Ladies Auxiliary purchased a large bell in 1857, which has been used in all three of their church buildings. It
has also often functioned as Mankato’s “town bell” for important events.
The architect, Warren H. Hayes, was chosen for his experience with designing Richardsonian Romanesque ecclesiastic
structures. He was especially adept at utilizing “the Akron plan” — a style in which the main sanctuary (“rotunda”) was
surrounded by 1-2 levels of interconnecting Sunday School rooms that could open to the rotunda. The design was named
after its original use, at the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Akron, Ohio in 1866. The plan and design of the church
closely resemble Hayes’ 1886 plans for the First Congregational Church of Minneapolis.
The church was dedicated on September 27, 1896. An annex was added in 1927, and the interior was remodeled
multiple times in 1957-58, 1980, and 1993. The congregation merged with Zion Presbyterian in 1973.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register and continues to be eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
In general, First Presbyterian Church retains extremely strong integrity. The 1927 addition is complementary to the
original structure, while remaining historic in its own right. There is some indication of another roofline on the side of the
annex. There is also a modern brick addition (circa 1959), with glass block windows, at the church’s rear façade.
There have been several interior changes, but these do not affect the exterior. The changes, however, have closed off
the classrooms from the rotunda, so that the church no longer accurately demonstrates the Akron plan.
The predominant exterior changes are window-related. As well as the glass block windows referred to earlier, the
windows on the west façade have been somewhat blocked down at the sides. Aluminum storms have also been added.
Access issues, such as the wheelchair-accessible entrance, are generally subtle.
Perhaps the most jarring threat to the building’s integrity is its sense of place. Though the church is at the edge of the
downtown core, the immediately surrounding buildings are predominantly multi-level parking facilities. These provide a
great deal of surface pavement, and relatively little historic spatial context. The lack of nearby landscaping exacerbates
this situation. However, this is out of the realm of control of the church.
Condition:
The exterior of the building appears to be in excellent condition. There is some slight staining of the stone and brick, but
the pointing all seems relatively sound.
Sources:
‐
Gimmestad, Dennis. National Register nomination completed January 1980.
‐
Gebhard, David and Tom Martinson. A Guide to the Architecture of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press, 1977.
‐
Hughes, Thomas. History of Blue Earth County, and Biographies of Its Leading Citizens. Chicago: Middle West
Publishing Company, assumed 1909.
‐
No author cited. Mankato, Its First Fifty Years. Mankato: Free Press Printing Company, 1903.
‐
First Presbyterian Church website, http://fpcmankato.org/. Accessed November 2010.
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PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
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Architecture‐History
Inventory
Form
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Photographic Documentation:
Early photographs of First Presbyterian Church
Looking to the northwest
MHS photographic archives
FIRST
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
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Minnesota
Architecture‐History
Inventory
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South elevation
West elevation and addition
Sanborn Map Documentation:
First
Presbyterian
Church
as
it
appeared
in
the
Sanborn
Maps
of
1900.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Adolph O. Eberhart House
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-401
Address:
228 East Pleasant Street
(original 228 East Clark)
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010918302019
Plat Name:
Warrens Second Addition
Block:
020
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
013
Property Information
Architect:
None listed
Style:
Georgian Revival (modified)
Date Const:
1903
State Historic Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Context:
Politics/Government
Historic Use:
Private residence
Present Use:
Private Residence
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Listed July 28, 1980
NR Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn & Associates
LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
The Eberhart house is a two-and-a-half story wood frame house located in the elegant Lincoln Park Historic District. It is
likely a contractor-designed home, of modified Georgian Revival style; its massing, detail, and fenestration are indeed
similar to nearby Queen Anne homes of the same period. It has an irregular roofline, so as to better accommodate
dormers and a broad rear chimney. The windows are simple but tall one-over-one, double hung units on the first and
second floors, with a three-sided bay on the east side and a higher-set hall window to the left of the front door; 3rd floor
windows are Palladian, surrounded by wood shakes.
The porch, which originally covered the full front of the home, is now smaller and concentrated around the entrance area.
It has simple columns and a low brick enclosure wall. The new brick porch foundation has been painted. There are
second and third floor front balconies, both of which have had fairly recent spindle replacements. The main foundation of
the home is unpainted, rock-faced Mankato stone.
The house is currently painted dark blue, with cream and maroon trim. Although the home likely originally had a
polychromatic color scheme, the exact paint colors are unknown.
ADOLPH
O.
EBERHART
HOUSE
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Architecture‐History
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History:
Although the home is attractive, its National Register listing is Category B (associated with the life of famous persons), as
it was the house built for one of Mankato’s most famous politicians, Adolph Olson Eberhart. Eberhart served the state as
a senator from Blue Earth County before becoming first lieutenant governor and then governor of Minnesota.
Born in Varmland, Sweden in 1870, Eberhart emigrated to the United States when he was 11. He attended Gustavus
Adolphus College, and came to Mankato in 1895 to study law under Judge Lorin Cray. He became a prominent area
businessman, serving as the vice president of stone quarrying company Widell Construction, as a director of First National
Bank, and as deputy clerk of the court. He was first elected to the state senate in 1902 (re-elected in 1904), and was
elected to the post of lieutenant governor in 1906 and 1908 (when that post was individually elected, rather than part of a
ticket). Upon Governor John A. Johnson’s 1909 death he assumed the governorship, and was re-elected in 1910 and
1912.
The period of Eberhart’s governorship is known for a number of significant initiatives, including the abolition of capitol
punishment, legalization of state income tax, the abolition of formal party designation for legislators (creating the first nonpartisan state legislature in the US), and the consolidation of many rural school districts.
The Lincoln Park house, which Eberhart built in 1903 and owned until 1913, is associated primarily with this timeframe,
and thus has a political/governmental significance.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register and continues to be eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
The integrity of this property is mixed. It has been well-maintained, and it certainly retains its sense of place within Lincoln
Park and as a private residence.
However, as would be expected in a private home that is over 100 years old, there have been a number of alterations
made over the years, and these tend to chip away at the overall integrity. A prime example of that is the alteration of the
porch, which originally ran the full width of the house, but was replaced at an unknown time (perhaps the 1950s?) with a
smaller, entrance footprint. Although not unattractive, the new porch does not match the tone of the rest of the house,
and results in it losing some of its distinctive, Georgian Revival style. Changes to some of the front detailing exacerbate
this loss of character; for example, the screen door has been replaced, and the original spindles on the second and third
floor balconies have been replaced by more elaborate, interior-scaled balustrades. Exterior lighting has also been
replaced with globe lights.
A new garage has been attached to the southwest corner of the house. It is obviously modern, and is visible from the
street, so it does have some effect on the physical integrity. Due to the garage and fencing, the back of the house is not
accessible, so could not be evaluated.
Though interiors are not normally assessed as part of architectural surveys, it is the Consultants’ understanding that the
interior of the house is relatively intact and contains a great deal of the original millwork.
The Consultants recommend that many the changes necessary to restore some of the original integrity to the home are
not onerous, and may be very rewarding to the homeowners. They may want to work with an architectural historian to
determine the original patterns for the balustrades and other trim; as part of that, they may be able to determine the
original color scheme. The replacement of the trim and lighting with more appropriate pieces would go a long way
towards restoring the home’s physical integrity, and painting it in the original color scheme would show an excellent
attention to the historic importance of the home.
ADOLPH
O.
EBERHART
HOUSE
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Minnesota
Architecture‐History
Inventory
Form
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Condition:
The exterior of the building is in very good condition; it is obvious that the owners maintain great pride in their home and
care for it well. The paint condition is good, the pointing on the brickwork and foundation is well done, and the windows
appear to be in excellent shape. The property is nicely landscaped and well kept-up.
Sources:
‐
Gimmestad, Dennis. National Register nomination completed January 1980.
‐
Hughes, Thomas. History of Blue Earth County, and Biographies of Its Leading Citizens. Chicago: Middle West
Publishing Company, assumed 1909.
Photographic Documentation:
Main elevation looking northwest
ADOLPH
O.
EBERHART
HOUSE
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Minnesota
Architecture‐History
Inventory
Form
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Main elevation looking west
North façade of the attached garage addition
Detail of the attached garage looking southwest
ADOLPH
O.
EBERHART
HOUSE
•
Mankato
Minnesota
Architecture‐History
Inventory
Form
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Sanborn Map Documentation:
The Eberhart House as it appeared in the 1908 Sanborn Maps.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Stahl House
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-304
Address:
301 North Riverfront Drive
(originally 301 N. Front Street)
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010907378014
Plat Name:
Original Town
Block:
017
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
005
Property Information
Architect:
unknown
Style:
Storefront
Date Const:
1893
State Historic
Context:
Railroad and Agricultural Development
1870-1940
Local Historic
Context:
Architecture, Commerce
Historic Use:
Hotel
Present Use:
Bar/Restaurant
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Listed (North Front Street
Commercial District), July 28,
1980
NR
Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn & Associates
LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
The Stahl House is a three-story commercial building, originally a hotel, and is a good example of commercial building
th
from the end of the 19 century.
The building is made of North Mankato red brick, with buff Mankato-stone lintels, sills, trim, and foundation. While the first
and second story windows have simple, inset lintels and sills, on the third floor the stonework runs a full stringcourse,
rising up and over the tops of the windows. The foundation coursework is relatively low, extending only about 10” above
the sidewalk before the brick begins. Sets of shallow brick pilasters, anchored and topped with blocks of rock-faced
Mankato stone, separate the pairs of windows; these are one story high on the main level and two stories high on the
second and third levels for an effective rhythm. Wood trim is painted a matching cream.
The second and third floors above the corner entrance are marked by three-sided corner bay windows. The building is
capped by a projecting cornice with dentil work.
STAHL
HOUSE
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Mankato
Minnesota
Architecture‐History
Inventory
Form
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History:
The North Front Street Historic District would be significant in any community as a remarkably well-preserved set of
commercial buildings dating to the end of the nineteenth century. The fact that Mankato has lost much of its historic
downtown core makes this area all the more significant. A key feature of the North Front Street Historic District is the
ability to see changes in commercial design, from the simpler construction of the 1870s to very elaborate facades of the
early 1900s. This building, with some ornamentation, fits nicely within that spectrum.
st
nd
The Stahl House itself was the second hotel built in Mankato. It was advertised as a “1 class hotel, with 2 class
charges,” standing in contrast to Mankato’s first hotel, the more elegant Saulpaugh Hotel (built 1889, demolished 1974).
Rates were $1.25 and $1.50 a night by 1905. The hotel had forty-two rooms total. It was heated by steam, and lit with
both gas and electricity.
It continued as a hotel all the way through the late 1970s, though by that time most of the guests were long-term renters.
At one point, by the 1950s, the brick was painted, but it was sandblasted in 1976 to reveal the original brick. By the mid1980s, there were commercial tenants (a bar and beauty salon) on the first floor, and apartments above, and its future
looked doubtful. The City of Mankato purchased the property in 1986, eventually reselling it in 1991. In a very visible
location, the Stahl House is an excellent example of commercial architecture of the period.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register as part of the North Front Street Historic District and continues to be
eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
Although the use has changed (from a hotel to a bar and restaurant, with office and living space above), the Stahl House
demonstrates the flexible use of this style of commercial building in that its integrity remains sound.
Spatially, the Stahl House stands as the corner anchor of the North Front Street Historic District, Mankato’s most
prominent reminder of its early commercial history. The district extends two blocks along the east side of what is now
Riverfront Drive.
Physically, the building also has good integrity. A rear door has been blocked in unobtrusively, and a casual back patio
has been added; both of these elements are reversible. The original windows have been replaced with brown-tinted
thermopane on the ground floor, although the windows on the second and third floors are still double-hung units. Awnings
have been added. Signage is generally appropriate.
Condition:
The Stahl House is in need of some repair, mostly to the brickwork, which has minor crumbling on most of the façade.
This is particularly evident in the areas where the brick meets the Mankato stone foundation, where there is also stone
crumbling; some cement repair has been attempted, but the cement does not match and is also crumbling. In general,
the Riverfront Drive façade seems to be in slightly better shape than the Plum Street side.
The brick has been repaired around the main entrance. There is also some settlement and staining evident in the brick
along the back façade. In general, pointing is needed throughout.
Other than these maintenance issues, the building is in generally good condition.
Sources:
‐
Gimmestad, Dennis. National Register nomination completed January 1980.
‐
Dailey, W.R.. Henry’s Official Western Theatrical Guide. 1908.
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Photographic Documentation:
South and west elevations
South elevation
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Brick condition detail
Rear elevations
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Sanborn Map Documentation:
This
Sanborn
Map
from
1894
shows
the
Stahl
House
building
as
it
appeared
a
year
after
it’s
construction
in
1893.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Old Main, Mankato State Teachers College
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-265
Address:
301 South Fifth Street
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010918184001
Block:
000
Lot:
000
Plat Name:
USGS Quad
Mankato East, Minnesota
Property Information
Architect:
Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.
Style:
Jacobean Revival
Date Const:
1908
State Historic Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Context:
Architecture, Education
Historic Use:
College hall
Present Use:
Assisted Living Residence
Property
Type:
NR Status:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
Listed June 2, 1983
NR Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn & Associates LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
th
Old Main is really a set of two buildings, aligned along 5 Street South. The oldest part is the 1908 “Annex,” originally
constructed as an addition to the original, Richardsonian Romanesque structure that dated back to 1887 but burned
completely in 1922. The larger and more prevalent building, a Jacobean Revival building designed by Clarence H.
Johnston, was designed in 1922 to replace the original structure. Construction was finally finished and the building
dedicated in 1924.
The main building has an H-shaped floor plan, with a rectangular auditorium projecting from the back. The front view is
thus a three-story central section, with a center main entrance topped by a central, castle-like tower that rises one more
level. Two symmetrical, projecting wings flank the center section, with a single entrance at each end.
The building is constructed of reinforced concrete, faced with variegated brown brick. Darker bricks create diamond
patterns, as well as appearing randomly in the coursing. The brickwork is accented by Mankato stone, particularly in the
central tower, in smooth facing surrounding the three arched doorframes of the entry, in Classical Revival arches around
the side entrances, in long stringcourses running along the top parapets and below the second floor windows, and at the
foundation, running from the bottoms of the first floor windows to the ground.
The central tower is the most ornamented. Irregular limestone quoins mark the edges of the tower, which rise to two
small-carved obelisks topped with copper domes. At the foot of the tower, the three arched entrance doors are accented
by fluted Doric pilasters and topped by a balustrade above the denticular cornice. The second and third levels of the
tower feature quadruple banks of windows, linked by a stone inset, and with more stone detailing rising above. There are
limestone cartouches embellished with the letter “M,” and two contrasting grotesques, one featuring a hardworking
student flourishing a quill pen and the other with a dunce holding a slate engraved “2+2=5.”
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There is a small amount of painted trim in cream to match the Mankato stone, and the two entrance doors on the wings
are dark green.
Banks of windows, arranged in groups of five, dominate the exterior front elevation of the building. As noted below, the
original twelve-over-twelve multi-paned sashes have been replaced by aluminum double-hungs; however, the
arrangement and massing is retained. Although rear and side elevations include multiple windows, they are not arranged
in the long banks characteristic of the front view.
Narrow piers stretch from the ground to the parapet on the sides and at the exterior. The original cornerstone, inscribed
“State Normal School 1868” is set into the rear wall of the auditorium.
The Annex, originally designed in 1908 as a practice teaching laboratory, is similar in design. Here the stonework is
rusticated, and the construction timber frame is faced with Flemish bond brickwork.
History:
Minnesota opened its first Normal School (the standard name for a teacher training school) in Winona in 1860, following
1858 legislation authorizing comprehensive teacher training in order to foster education in the rapidly growing state. In a
policy that continued until 1934, teaching students received a tuition waiver at these schools, provided they taught in the
state for at least two years following graduation.
In 1866, the state legislature, spurred on by legislator and Mankato attorney Daniel Buck, authorized a second Normal
School, to be located in Mankato. The location was contingent upon the city providing $5,000 in seed money. Although
the city had problems raising the funds at first, an 1867 state law allowed the city to issue bonds in order to raise its
match.
The school officially opened on October 7, 1868, with twenty-seven local students taught by Principal George Gage in a
space that was rented in the basement of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Later that year classes moved to more
permanent space in the Shaubut Building in downtown Mankato (now razed).
The original Old Main building, which opened in 1870, was the school’s first dedicated building. Principal Gage was
succeeded by his assistant, Julia Sears, in 1872; she was replaced in 1873 by Methodist minister David John. Curriculum
at that time was fairly standard, focusing upon basic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
In 1880, Edward Searing was hired in the newly created position of president, and his almost two-decade long tenure
inspired a period of great expansion and development for the school. Searing was especially praised for deepening the
curriculum and educational offerings. Charles Cooper became president in 1899, and successfully navigated more
expansion and changes for the school. The first women’s dormitory, Daniel Buck Hall, was built under his tenure in 1913,
followed in 1921 by Cooper Hall. In 1921, the school also officially changed its name to Mankato State Teacher’s College.
Soon after, in 1922, the original Old Main building burned to the ground, but the state legislature quickly allocated funds
for the current building.
The building was designed by Clarence H. Johnston, Senior, in his role as State Architect. Johnston was especially
known for his skill at academic buildings; his other designs included multiple buildings at the University of Minnesota Twin
Cities campuses (Haeker Hall, Coffey Hall, MacNeal Hall, Folwell Hall, Northrop Auditorium, Walter Library, Williams
Arena, and Eastcliff), the Minnesota Academy for the Deaf in Faribault, Central High School and the Summit School for
Girls in Saint Paul, and several buildings at Hamline University and at the University of Minnesota - Morris. He also
designed the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand and several well-known private residences, including the Pierce and
Walter Butler double house in Saint Paul and Glensheen in Duluth. Construction was overseen by prominent local
contractor Jacob B. Nelsen, who was known for favoring local material when possible.
Old Main held classrooms and offices, as well as several other services, including the school’s first bookstore, the student
union, and later the radio station. The Annex, added to the original building in 1908 and then re-attached to the main
structure after the fire, was built to house the practice teaching activities, a central part of the curriculum even as the
school expanded and the course of studies became more diverse.
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By the time Clarence Crawford became president in 1946, the sense was that the downtown Mankato campus was too
cramped to meet the ever-expanding school’s needs, and a site about two miles up the bluff was chosen for the “Highland
Campus” (the original campus then began to be called the “Valley Campus”). Even as new buildings, such as Nichols
Hall, were being built in town, construction on the upper campus continued, until soon classes were equally divided
between the two locations. It was under that atmosphere that the school changed its name again, to Mankato State
College, in 1957. In 1977, the downtown Mankato location was officially de-accessed as all efforts were centralized at the
Highland Campus.
Although some college-related resources still exist, Old Main and the Annex are the central symbols of Mankato’s
educational past. Their successful preservation and adaptive use are important symbols for the city.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register and continues to be eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
Old Main retains good integrity. There have been a number of changes made to the front façade, all of which are
relatively minor and which are reversible. The side and back of the building have undergone more alterations, and they
are less sensitive to the original architecture, but they are not as easily visible.
Most of the front alterations relate to access, especially as it is currently used as an assisted living facility. The central,
main entrance has new railings and an enclosed patio area, but the general sense of the symmetry and approach remain.
The lighting — large, stand-alone globe lights and matching sconces at the side doors — is not a historic or aesthetic
match for the property, but again, is easily reversible.
The original, twelve-over-twelve multi-pane windows have been replaced by single pane double-hungs, though the dining
room in the back retains multi-pane windows. Storms are aluminum. Though this is a significant change from the original
windows, since the massing remains the same and nothing has been blocked down, the symmetrical banking of the
window remains as the significant architectural element, even if the windows themselves have been lost. Although this
loss of integrity is not ideal, it is not catastrophic.
The port cochere on the side of the building greatly assists access, but is not appropriate to the building. In the back, a
1980s era angled addition (presumably to add elevators or other services needed) does not match the building well;
however, again, this is a rarely seen rear view; as these were likely required modifications, their placement on secondary
elevations seems appropriate.
Like many other prominent Mankato buildings, Old Main’s prominence is emphasized by its hillside location, just outside
of the downtown core. This sense of place has been well retained, and is an important factor in the preservation of both
the building and the greater area.
Condition:
Given especially that this building was vacant for several years, Old Main is in remarkably good condition.
There is some efflorescence to the brick above the first floor windows, but in general the brick is well pointed and
maintained. Trim is clean and neat, and the grounds are well maintained.
Sources:
‐
Roise, Charlene. National Register nomination completed December, 1982.
‐
Old Main Village web page, http://www.oldmainvillage.com/. Accessed October, 2010.
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Photographic Documentation:
th
Early 20 -century postcard of Old Main
Old Main (Mankato State) looking northeast
MHS photographic archives
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South-facing elevation
Courtyard detail showing brick staining
Modern addition to east elevation
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Sanborn Map Documentation:
This shows Old Main, constructed in1908, as it appeared in the Sanborn Insurance Maps of that same year.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Heilscher Physician Building
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-311
Address:
325 North Riverfront Drive
(original 325 North Front Street)
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010907378005
R010907378004
Plat Name:
Original Town
Block:
017
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
002
Property Information
Architect:
unknown
Style:
Storefront
Date Const:
c. 1928
State Historic
Context:
Local Historic
Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Commerce
Historic Use:
Physician
Present Use:
Insurance Agency
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Listed (North Front Street
Commercial District), July 28,
1980
NR
Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn &
Associates LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
This property, originally built as the physician’s office for Doctor Julius A. Heilscher, is a diminutive, one-story building
likely constructed in 1928.
As originally constructed, the office was of extremely simple design, of off-white stucco with red brick trim. It featured a
curved parapet, brick quoins at both edges, a vertical brick stringcourse running about four feet below the parapet, and
more brickwork delineating the arched doorframe. Two window openings were edged in brick, and there was also brick
edging around a sign area within the parapet.
Sometime after 1980, the building was extended roughly twenty-five feet to the south. Although the stucco and brickwork
— including the stringcourse — were matched, the expansion bay to the south does not repeat the balance or rhythm of
the original façade. The large double-hung windows on the original bay have been replaced with single sheets of
thermopane.
It is very difficult to place this building in any time period or context due to the alterations — see “Integrity” comments
below.
HEILSCHER
PHYSICIAN
BUILDING
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History:
The North Front Street Historic District would be significant in any community as a remarkably well-preserved set of
commercial buildings dating to the end of the nineteenth century. The fact that Mankato has lost much of its historic
downtown core makes this area all the more significant. Perhaps the biggest asset of the district is the ability to see
changes in commercial design, from the simpler construction of the 1870s to very elaborate facades of the early 1900s.
The Heilscher Building, circa 1928, is the most recently-built resource in the district. Originally it stood out as the only
one-story building on the streetscape; recent alterations have compounded this distinction.
Very little is known about Dr. Julius A. Heilscher and his role in Mankato’s past. His offices were a latecomer to that area,
which was not as fashionable as the more bustling South Front Street commerce. He was, apparently, the only physician
in the immediate neighborhood.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register as part of the North Front Street Historic District and continues to be
eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
Spatially, this building fits into the North Front Street Historic District, representing the most recently built contributing
resource in that district. As an important element of the district in its demonstration of the progression of building styles,
this building is an important resource.
However, the style of the building — its massing, materials, and fenestration — is extremely unlike any of its
contemporary buildings. It has certainly undergone many changes over the years, and the most recent ones, including
window replacement and the adding of window boxes, are substantially different from even the building’s appearance at
the time of its National Register nomination in 1980.
As noted above, at some time after 1979 the building was expanded in order to create one wider, single-story building.
This substantially changed the building from being a small single resource to one that stretched out disproportionally to
the south. Attempts were made to match the brickwork and stucco, but a great deal of integrity was sacrificed.
The rear facade of the building, off of the parking lot, appears to be the main entrance to the agency, and has been
completely redone.
For these reasons, the Consultants classify the integrity of the property as poor.
Condition:
This building is very well kept by the current ownership. The brickwork and stucco are sound, and there is no sign of
other deterioration.
Sources:
‐
Gimmestad, Dennis. National Register nomination completed January 1980.
HEILSCHER
PHYSICIAN
BUILDING
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Photographic Documentation:
This image from the 1980 nomination documentation shows 325 as a single-bay storefront with one-over-one doublehung windows. The building to the south also appears to be a single-story structure but separated from the .
West elevation
HEILSCHER
PHYSICIAN
BUILDING
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Streetscape looking to the northeast
Rear elevation
HEILSCHER
PHYSICIAN
BUILDING
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Sanborn Map Documentation:
The Heilscher Physician Building as it appeared in the 1924-48 Sanborn Insurance Maps.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Wenzl Huttl Tailor Shop
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-313
Address:
329 North Riverfront Drive
(originally 329 North Front Street)
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010907378001
Plat Name:
Original Town
Block:
017
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
001
Property Information
Architect:
unknown
Style:
Storefront
Date Const:
1891
State Historic
Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Architecture, Commerce
Historic
Use:
Property
Type:
NR Status:
Tailor Shop
Local Historic
Context:
Present Use:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
Listed (North Front Street
Commercial District), July 28, 1980
NR
Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared
by:
Thomas R. Zahn & Associates LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Coffee House
Description:
The Wenzl Huttl Tailor Shop was constructed in 1891. Huttl was obviously extremely proud of the building, as he had his
name and the year of construction fabricated on separate plates and attached to the upper, front façade.
The two-story, red brick building was designed in a very traditional style for commercial buildings of the time. The first
floor has an intact cast-iron storefront, with large display windows (blocked at the top) and a central entrance. The second
story, originally residential, has three tall double hung windows with stone lintels and sills; these have also been slightly
blocked down. The trim is painted mustard yellow.
The greatest exterior detail is on the corbelled cornice with the name and date plates. The flat roofline has a small raised
pier to each side and a narrow central peak that rises several feet above the roof.
Signage is in the windows only and is not affixed to the brick, with the exception of the painted billboard on the
Washington Street façade, which has faded to near-illegibility. The side and back facades are flatter, but the intricate
cornice continues along the Washington Street side and the windows are in a regular pattern. The back façade is more
irregular.
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HUTTL
TAILOR
SHOP
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History:
The Wenzl Huttl building marks the northern edge of the North Front Street Historic District, a commercial area that
originally extended for several more blocks. This National Register historic district would be significant in any community
as a remarkably well-preserved set of commercial buildings dating to the end of the nineteenth century. The fact that
Mankato has lost much of its historic downtown core makes this area all the more significant.
A key feature of the North Front Street Historic District is the ability to see changes in commercial design, from the simpler
construction of the 1870s to very elaborate facades of the early 1900s. The elaborate cornice and name and date plates
on this building put it into the more elaborate category.
Wenzl (alternate spelling: Wenzel) Huttl was born in 1854 in Austria. By 1875, he had emigrated to Mankato, where he
married Mary Victoria Heinzman, a Mankato native. The couple had fourteen children.
The property went through a number of owners throughout the years. Due to its flexible design, it was generally able to
remain intact. The current use is as a coffee shop, music venue, and art gallery.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register as part of the North Front Street Historic District and continues to be
eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
In general, this building maintains fair integrity.
Spatially, the use is similar, with retail at the ground level and apartments above. The building stands at the north end of
the historic district, so has lost its sense of place to the north, but the adjoining buildings to the south remain and give it a
sense of continuity.
Physically, the building has undergone some changes, but they are reversible. The cast-iron storefront is intact, though
the upper transoms have been boarded. Modern-era glass double doors have replaced the original double doors. The
three second-story windows on the front have been blocked down at the top. On the side (Washington Street) façade,
window openings on the second floor and the rear door on the first floor have been also blocked down, and have lost
some of their shape. A painted advertisement is faded but still visible on this wall.
To the rear, more windows are blocked down and some are mismatched, indicating alterations. A fire escape has been
added. There are indications of an addition, added after 1891, that has now been removed, so some progression of time
has been lost.
Windows have been replaced throughout with mediocre-quality aluminum storms.
Condition:
As with many other buildings in the area, this building is generally well-kept, but could use some maintenance work.
The wooden trim has some flaking paint, but shows no signs of rot.
The damage to the brickwork is more concerning. Particularly on the rear facade, there is crumbling brick, and vines,
which may be exacerbating the situation. This should have pointing done in the near future. On the Washington Street
side, the brickwork by the sidewalk seating has extensive graffiti etched into the brickwork. While this offers character, it
is obviously detrimental to the brick.
WENZL
HUTTL
TAILOR
SHOP
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Sources:
‐
Gimmestad, Dennis. National Register nomination completed January 1980.
‐
Huttl Genealogy data. http://mysite.verizon.net/dscordes/genealogy/database/dat19.html. Accessed November,
2010.
Photographic Documentation:
East elevation
North elevation
Main elevation looking southeast
WENZL
HUTTL
TAILOR
SHOP
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Minnesota
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Inventory
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Detail of carved names, graffiti, and signage on north wall
Sanborn Map Documentation:
The Huttl Building as it appeared in the 1894 Sanborn Insurance Maps
Rear (east) elevation
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Kenney House
(Tacy Kelly’s House)
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-346
Address:
332 Center Street
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010918307018
Block:
028
Lot:
007
Plat Name:
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Property Information
Architect:
unknown
Style:
Homestead (vernacular)
Date Const:
1881
State Historic
Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Local Historic
Context:
Literary
Historic Use:
Private Residence
Present Use:
House Museum
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Not Listed
NR
Recommendation:
Potential for Listing
(Multiple property nomination)
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn & Associates
LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
This simple white house is best known as Tacy Kelly’s house in Maud Hart Lovelace’s Deep Valley (Betsy-Tacy books),
though it is also a lovely home in its own right.
The simple, vernacular wood frame house is two stories high, painted white with some cream accents. The style is
modified Homestead, with a narrow L plan and an open porch leading to the main entry on the left side of the front façade.
The windows are large, two-over-two double hung. The storms are generally wood, though a few aluminum remnants
remain. The tops and bottoms of the windows are accentuated with simple ridges. There is one leaded glass window.
The dining room features a bow window, well-described in the Deep Valley books. In Betsy and Joe, Lovelace writes:
The big bow window was the heart of the house. Here Mr. Kelly sat in the evening with his newspaper, here on
Sunday he played his violin. Here Betsy and Tacy used to cut out paper dolls, looking up at the overhanging hills.
The new roof is red asphalt tile. The foundation is rusticated stone.
The property is well landscaped, with a center trellis on the front façade. Lovelace’s books often describe it as covered
with vines, but these do not remain.
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HOUSER
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History:
Though built in 1881, the home’s primary period of influence is the period from 1898-1911, when the Kenney family
resided in it.
Frances Vivian Kenney was Maud Hart Lovelace’s best friend, and the inspiration for Tacy Kelly in the Deep Valley books
that immortalized Mankato. She was born in 1891 in Minneapolis, the sixth of nine children of Patrick and Rose Kenney.
Patrick Kenney worked for Singer Sewing Machines, and was transferred from Minneapolis to Mankato in 1897. He
purchased the Center Street house in 1898, and all eleven members of the Kenney family resided there until he was
transferred back to Minneapolis in 1911. As the fictional Kelly house, this home was lovingly described throughout the
Deep Valley series:
She had always loved the merry crowded house. Warmth and comfort enveloped her whenever she entered the
door. All the Kellys loved her; they petted and teased her as though she were still a little girl.
Ila Flathers, a junior high school English teacher, purchased the house in 1920. She became an early devotee of the
Deep Valley books and hosted Lovelace and Kenney several times, not the least of which was a 1961 tea party to
celebrate “Betsy-Tacy Day.” Flathers owned the home until her death in 1965.
The house went through several other owners and changes until the Betsy-Tacy Society acquired the home in 1995 for
$39,000. They have since spent over $50,000 in its restoration. The house currently serves as the office and gift shop for
the Society and displays many artifacts from the Hart/Lovelace families, as well as letters and other documents.
Evaluation:
This property is currently not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Consultants recommend that the
Betsy-Tacy Society and the City of Mankato consider commissioning a Determination of Eligibility and/or full Register
nomination on the properties, perhaps as part of a Multiple Properties submission including several of the landmarks of
Maud Hart Lovelace’s books.
The house has been designated a “National Literary Landmark” by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates,
Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association, in 2010.
Integrity:
In general, this house maintains excellent integrity.
The home is located in part of a thriving and well-preserved residential historic district (Lincoln Park). Not only does its
sense of place as a private residence remain, but its presence as the home of the boisterous Kenney/Kelly family is also
retained.
Physically, the house has undergone many changes over the years, but the work completed by the Betsy-Tacy Society
after the home was purchased in 1995 has generally restored the home to its period of influence, both on the exterior and
in the interior.
On the exterior, the roof was replaced, the gold aluminum siding removed and the house repainted white, the porches
restored (they had been enclosed), and many windows and doors repaired and/or replaced. The Society plans to remove
the remaining aluminum windows and replace with wooden storm windows and doors throughout, replace the wood
window and eave trim, install new gutters, repair the foundation, and re-grade the yard to improve drainage.
Updates, such as the new HVAC system, additional fire exits, and a handicap-accessible entrance, have been handled
sensitively.
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Although interiors are generally not considered, in this case the inside of the house is as integral as the outside. The
Betsy-Tacy Society has stabilized the basement of the home, removed carpeting and refinished the hardwood floors,
removed paneling and false ceilings, and replastered throughout. Next on their list is the restoration of the kitchen.
The Betsy-Tacy Society clearly understands that the integrity of the home and the sensitivity of their restoration of it is
integral to their mission of: “To promote and to preserve Maud Hart Lovelace's legacy and her work, encourage and
support literacy and conserve historic Betsy-Tacy landmarks in Mankato.” Their work to date in this area has been
exemplary.
Condition:
The condition of the home is excellent. It is well cared-for, and the Society has a rigorous maintenance schedule as well
as their renovation priorities. Other than some slightly worn paint on the porch floor, the Consultants could find no work
that needed to be completed.
Sources:
‐
Lovelace, Maud Hart. The Deep Valley (Betsy-Tacy) books.
‐
Betsy-Tacy Society website. http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org. Accessed October-November, 2010.
‐
Phone interview with Julie Schrader, October 2010.
‐
Betsy-Tacy Society. Deep Valley Sun newsletters. 2008-2009
‐
Schrader, Julie A. Maud Hart Lovelace’s Deep Valley. Minnesota Heritage Publishing, Mankato, 2002.
‐
Kent, Tanner. “Betsy, Tacy House Named Literary Landmarks.” Mankato Free Press, May 5, 2010.
Photographic Documentation:
Southeasterly elevation
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Side elevation looking northerly
Secondary elevations looking northeasterly
Sanborn Map Documentation:
No Sanborn Maps were found that include the end of Center Street.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Maud Hart Lovelace House
(Betsy Ray’s House)
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-347
Address:
333 Center Street
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010918308013
Block:
027
Lot:
008
Plat Name:
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Property Information
Architect:
unknown
Style:
Homestead (vernacular)
Date Const:
1881 (approx.)
State Historic Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Context:
Literary
Historic Use:
Private Residence
Present Use:
House Museum
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Not Listed
NR Recommendation:
Potential for Listing
(Multiple property designation)
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn &
Associates LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
The house is a simple, vernacular cottage, lovely, though not as grand as many of the Lincoln Park homes.
The wood frame house is two stories high, painted butter yellow with white trim. The style is modified Homestead, with a
deep porch leading to the front entry on the right as you face the front façade. In many ways, it is almost the mirror image
of its companion, “Tacy’s House” across the street. There is some gingerbread on the porch and at the roof peak.
The windows are large, two-over-two double hung. The front façade features two first-floor windows and one on the
second floor, as well as a large window and two doors to the porch. The storms are wood.
The new roof is gray asphalt. The foundation is rusticated stone.
In back is a newer outbuilding, as well as a commemorative paver patio.
History:
Similar to Tacy’s House across the street, though this house dates from the early 1880s, its primary period of influence is
the period from 1892-1906, when the Hart family resided in it.
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Maud Palmer Hart was born on April 25, 1892, to Thomas Walden and Stella Palmer Hart. Hart owned the T.W. Hart
Shoes Store in the Front Street commercial area. The Harts had three daughters, of which Maud was the middle child.
Though Maud was born at 214 Center Street, the family moved in October 1892 up the road to #333. They lived here
until 1906, two years after Thomas Hart was elected Blue Earth County Treasurer, when they moved to a larger house at
the corner of Cherry and Fifth Street, presumably to be closer to the courthouse and the high school. It is the Center
Street home, however, that Lovelace describes most evocatively in the Deep Valley books, describing the rooms of the
house, the neighborhood, and turn-of-the-century Mankato in general.
The house went through a number of owners and alterations throughout the 1900s, and was reportedly slated for
demolition in 2001 when the Betsy-Tacy Society purchased it for $60,000.
Evaluation:
This property is currently not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Consultants recommend that the
Betsy-Tacy Society and the City of Mankato consider commissioning a Determination of Eligibility and or full Register
nomination on the properties, perhaps as part of a Multiple Properties submission including several of the landmarks of
Maud Hart Lovelace’s books.
The house has been designated a “National Literary Landmark” by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates,
Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association, in 2010.
Integrity:
In general, this house maintains excellent integrity.
The house has great importance as the childhood home of Maud Hart Lovelace, who cast herself as the fictional Betsy in
the Deep Valley books. As a simple but attractive wood frame cottage, it also maintains integrity as part of the diverse
and well-preserved Lincoln Park Residential Historic District.
Physically, the house has undergone many changes over the years. The Betsy-Tacy Society purchased the home in
2001 and proceeded to comprehensively restore the home, along with the Tacy House across the street, which they had
purchased in 1995.
The Society replaced the roof. In 2004, the house was restored to the yellow color that Lovelace described it as being. At
that time, some of the siding was necessarily replaced. Most of the wooden windows only needed minor repair, but the
dining room required three new windows and storms to be specially constructed. The most consequential work was the
restoration of the enclosed front porch to its original condition, including replacing concrete steps with wooden ones.
Although interiors are generally not considered, in this case the inside of the house is as integral as the outside. The
interior of the Lovelace house has been restored to the period of influence of 1892-1906, when Lovelace lived there. On
display in the house museum are many physical artifacts of the family.
The Betsy-Tacy Society clearly understands that the integrity of the home and the sensitivity of their restoration of it is
integral to their mission of: “To promote and to preserve Maud Hart Lovelace's legacy and her work, encourage and
support literacy and conserve historic Betsy-Tacy landmarks in Mankato.” Their work to date in this area has been
exemplary.
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Condition:
The condition of the home is excellent. It is well cared-for, and the Society has a rigorous maintenance schedule as well
as their renovation priorities. Recent work includes new roofing in the back and new caulking. Betsy’s House, as a house
museum, undergoes more traffic than Tacy’s House (offices and gift shop) across the street, and so generally needs more
maintenance. There is some paint chipping on the north side of the home, and some wear on the porch floor.
Other than some slightly worn paint on the porch floor, the Consultants could find no work that needed to be completed.
Sources:
‐
Lovelace, Maud Hart. The Deep Valley (Betsy-Tacy) books.
‐
Betsy-Tacy Society website. http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org. Accessed October-November, 2010.
‐
Phone interview with Julie Schrader, October 2010.
‐
Betsy-Tacy Society. Deep Valley Sun newsletters. 2008-2009
‐
Schrader, Julie A. Maud Hart Lovelace’s Deep Valley. Minnesota Heritage Publishing, Mankato, 2002.
‐
Kent, Tanner. “Betsy, Tacy House Named Literary Landmarks.” Mankato Free Press, May 5, 2010.
Photographic Documentation:
Front elevation on Center Street
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Side elevation looking northwesterly
Back elevation with roof work
Sanborn Map Documentation:
No Sanborn Maps were found that include the end of Center Street.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
Lorin Cray House
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-299
Address:
603 South Second Street
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010918154004
Plat Name:
Warren’s Addition (1884 Sanborn Maps)
Warren Street Subdivision
Block:
007
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
001
Property Information
Architect:
Frank Thayer
Style:
Queen Anne (Romanesque and
Classical detailing)
Date Const:
1897
State Historic Context:
Railroad and Agricultural
Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Context:
Architecture, Social History
Historic Use:
Private Home
Present Use:
Privately owned
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Listed July 28, 1980
NR Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn & Associates
LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
Local architect Frank Thayer designed the Cray Mansion in 1898 as a physical demonstration of the social position
occupied by its owners, Lorin and LuLu Cray. The cost to build was $13,000.
The two-and-a-half story house is built of buff-colored Chaska brick, with thick bands of pink, rock-faced granite
nd
rd
delineating the 2 and 3 floors and arching around the front window and the rear porch. There is also some red brick
and wooden detailing, and the foundation is of Kasota stone. The front façade is dominated by a three-story, circular
corner turret topped by a “witches hat,” by a relatively concentrated front porch, and by a semicircular arched balcony on
rd
the 3 floor.
The south façade (along Warren Street) is distinctive for its semi-circular side turret, its arched double window in the front,
and the heavy stone detailing of the arched side porch. This view is now somewhat affected due to the new stone wall
and landscaping, and due to a one-story brick annex added by the YWCA in 1959.
rd
The north side of the property has another semi-circular bay, an arched balcony off of the 3 floor ballroom, and a side
porch leading to a storm porch and side door, which the Crays preferred as the main entry to the home.
The rear façade of the home was comparatively plain, and is now the spot where the one-story, 1959 brick annex
connects.
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The house is especially notable for its detailing, which includes stained and beveled glass throughout, detailed trim work,
and originally an extremely lavish interior.
The exterior offers particular contrast, especially in the interplay of the warm brick walls, done in a typical Queen Anne
Style, with the blocky granite detailing, particularly at the lintels and sills. Additional carved wood detailing is used in just a
few key places, and exacerbates this contrast.
History:
The Cray Mansion is significant not only for its impressive design, but also for its association with prominent Mankato
philanthropists Lorin and LuLu Cray. The Crays occupied the house for 29 years until their deaths in 1927; they willed the
house and its furnishings to the Mankato YWCA, who held on to the property for 81 years, until 2008. The house, then, is
indicative of philanthropy and charity in Mankato.
Lorin Cray was born in 1844 in New York, coming to Blue Earth County in 1859 after living briefly in Wisconsin. He
served in the Civil War and also in the Dakota Conflict of 1862, but his profession was as a railroad lawyer and later a
judge. LuLu Cray was his second wife, and the ostentatious design of the house is said to be because the Crays wanted
to demonstrate their social position in the area, as well as competing with their neighbor, R.D. Hubbard, and his grand
Second Empire house.
The Crays were important Mankato philanthropists, with their key issue being the YWCA, of which Cray was an original
founder. Following their deaths in 1927, the house, many of its furnishings, and a trust for its maintenance, was left to the
YWCA.
th
The YWCA occupied the house for the remainder of the 20 century and is thus also integrally associated with the
property.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register and continues to be eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
There are two main threats to the integrity of the property: its deferred maintenance/poor condition and the addition to the
back (for which the original carriage house was demolished). Although the annex is not sympathetic to the original style
or use of the home, it may be historic in its own right, as it appears to date back to as early as 1959. From the front,
Second Street view the house maintains its original presence.
In 2008, after 81 years of occupancy, the Mankato YWCA sold the property, citing the expense of maintaining a historic
property as the main reason. The house is now a private residence and office, after a failed attempt to convert it into
communal housing. Deferred maintenance has led to the house being in relatively poor condition, as detailed in the
section below, but is relatively easily addressed.
The back annex of the house is incongruous with the style and period of the main building. Although it does, in its own
right, represent the history of the property, in the consultants’ opinion it would be better if it were removed, especially if the
house returned to single-family occupancy. Recent landscaping, including a newly-built stone wall and stand of arborvitae,
only serves to exacerbate the incongruity.
Although the interior of the property is generally not pertinent to an architectural survey, in this case it may be of interest.
Despite the institutional use of the property, it appears that care was taken to maintain interior features, including the
grand staircase, the main fireplace, built-ins and details such as the cabinetry in the original dining room and the carved
spandrel between the reception hall and the side alcove, and the original woodwork and stained glass throughout.
Though somewhat altered, the original floor plan appears to generally be intact. Depending on the future use of the
property, the HPC and City may want to consider a local designation of the interior of the property.
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Finally, the sense of place of the property is mixed. However, the Hubbard house, just to the southeast of the Cray
Mansion, has been exquisitely preserved, so the rivalry between the two is still evident.
Condition:
The poor condition of this home jeopardizes the property.
The roof of the house shows deterioration. The brick has some water damage and staining, especially on the front façade
by the waterspout; however, most of the pointing of the main walls is still in good shape. The foundation stone is
crumbling and needs re-pointing, and will need to be addressed soon. The bases of the porch columns are in particularly
poor shape and threaten the stability of the porch.
The wood trim, currently painted in faded gray and pink, is in need of painting. This would be a good chance to research
the original paint scheme of the home and repaint in those colors.
The windows have been modified with poor quality, raw aluminum storms that are in poor shape, with broken parts and
sagging caulk. They should be replaced, especially since they don’t match the original windows.
Finally, the extensive landscaping and bulldozing of the surrounding earth affects the house; for example, in one area,
dirt has been piled over the stone stairs to the side entrance. This should be stabilized as soon as possible.
Sources:
‐
Architect’s drawings and photos of the house for the YWCA, circa 1973.
‐
Gimmestad, Dennis. National Register nomination completed January 1980.
‐
Gebhard, David and Tom Martinson. A Guide to the Architecture of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press, 1977.
‐
Wikipedia page for the Lorin Cray house, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorin_Cray_House, accessed November, 2010.
‐
Linehan, Dan. Various articles for the Mankato Free Press: January 11, 2007, April 4, 2007, February 11 2008,
February 12 2008, February 16 2008, March 1 2008, October 14 2008, April 25 2009.
‐
Mankato YWCA web page, http://www.mankatoywca.org, accessed November, 2010.
‐
Marquis, Albert Nelson. The Book of Minnesotans. Chicago: A.N. Marquis and Company, 1907.
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Photographic Documentation:
Historic photograph looking to the southeast.
Note that Warren Street originally was located north of the Cray House.
MHS photographic archives
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Cray House ca. 1973
Front elevation on 2nd Street
MHS photographic archives
West and south elevations
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South elevation looking to the northwest
Brickwork detail on main elevation
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Brickwork detail
Grading in northern yard.
Column base detail
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Sanborn Map Documentation:
This plan from the 1900 Sanborn Insurance Maps shows the Lorin Cray House 3 years after its construction in 1897.
MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name:
R.D. Hubbard House
Inventory No.
BE-MKC-325
Address:
606 South Broad Street
County:
Blue Earth
City/Twp:
Mankato
PIN:
R010918155008
Plat Name:
Warren’s Addition (1884 Sanborn Maps)
Warren Street Subdivision
Block:
—
USGS Quad
Mankato West, Minnesota
Lot:
F&G
Property Information
Architect:
Silas Barnard
Style:
French Second Empire
Date Const:
1871
State Historic Context:
Railroad and Agricultural Development
1870-1940
Local Historic Context:
Architecture, Commerce
Historic Use:
Residence, Secondary
Structure (carriage house)
Present Use:
House Museum, Secondary Structure
(carriage house)
Property Type:
Building
Survey Name:
Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status:
Listed June 7, 1976
NR Recommendation:
Listed
Prepared by:
Thomas R. Zahn &
Associates LLC
Thomas Zahn, Principal
Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Survey Date:
October 2010
Description:
The Hubbard House is one of the most elegant and outstanding examples of French Second Empire architecture in
Minnesota.
The home was built in two sections. The original house, built in 1871, is two-and-a-half-stories stories. The predominant
material is cream-painted brick, with correspondingly painted ornate woodwork. The foundation is cut Mankato-stone in
similar tones. The mansard roof is of polychromatic slate, with a distinctive pattern. All materials, except for the roof
slate, were locally sourced.
The 1888 remodeling added servant’s quarters, an office, and a bay window alongside the original structure. The side
addition is one-and-a-half-stories, of the same materials, and is sympathetic to the main design of the home.
The front porch is wooden and runs the full width of the house, corresponding with the two sections. It is defined by sets
of Ionic columns.
Although a property’s interior is generally not considered in designation, in this case it is significant. The eighteen-room
Hubbard House was known for its luxurious amenities. The interior was extremely resplendent, featuring intricately
carved woodwork of native cherry, walnut, and oak, dating almost entirely to the 1888 renovations. Elaborate marble
fireplaces in the parlor, living room, and bedroom were purchased at the Thieves Market in New Orleans and also
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installed during the renovations. There are colored art glass windows throughout and a signed Tiffany lamp shade in the
dining room.
The house was again extensively redecorated by Bradstreet’s of Minneapolis in 1905, just before Hubbard’s death.
These changes included new wallpaper and paneling on the first floor. Indeed, the work was not yet finished by August,
1905, when Hubbard died in Chicago, and was rushed to completion so that the family could hold his funeral at home.
The house was also noted for its mechanical services, including hot and cold running water, several bathrooms, gas
lighting powered from an on-site plant, central heating, and one of the first telephone lines in Mankato.
The Blue Earth County Historical Society purchased the house from Mary Esther Hubbard in 1938 and deeded it to the
city for maintenance while the historical society ran programming. About a quarter of the original Hubbard furnishings
were included with the home and are still on display in the museum.
History:
The Hubbard House is significant on its own for its distinctive French Second Empire style and its architectural integrity.
However, the fact that it was built for business magnate Rennsalear D. Hubbard, one of the most important early citizens
of Mankato, makes it especially significant.
R.D. Hubbard was born in New York in 1837 to a farm family. He began his professional life at age 15, working on a
railroad survey crew, farming and mining in California, and then returning to the East Coast where he worked as a grocery
clerk and manager. After being rejected from the Union Army for health reasons, he briefly farmed tobacco before
marrying Mary Esther Cook in 1866 and moving to Pennsylvania to start an extremely successful grocery. After a brief
return to California, Hubbard and his wife moved to Mankato in 1870.
Hubbard’s first Minnesota business venture was in the wheat market. He then was a co-founder of the Mankato Linseed
Oil Company, which he ran for 11 years. In 1878, he formed the Mankato Milling Company (later Hubbard Milling) with
George Palmer in 1878, serving as its president until his death in 1905. The milling company became a major element of
Mankato commerce and, with 42 elevators, the largest milling operation in southern Minnesota. The milling operations
continually advanced, changing from a stone grinding process to rollers. Due to the mill’s size and influence, it eventually
controlled wheat pricing, grading, processing and distribution practices for all of southern Minnesota.
Mary Esther Hubbard died in 1877, leaving one son, Jay. Hubbard remarried Miss Frank Griffith in 1878, and had two
more daughters — Katherine Dean and Mary Esther. It is the youngest of these daughters who sold the home to the Blue
Earth County Historical Society in 1938.
Evaluation:
This property is listed on the National Register and continues to be eligible for this designation.
Integrity:
In general, the Hubbard House retains extremely strong integrity. The period of interpretation chosen by the Blue Earth
County Historical Society is 1905 (the time of Hubbard’s death.)
The carriage house is an important part of the property (though not built until 1890), and the moving of the outbuilding due
to the new street is slightly problematic; however, the new location for the carriage house, though not authentic, maintains
a good sense of space.
The Hubbard House also benefits by the proximity to its rumored rival, the Cray House, located next door. The loss of this
house would negatively affect the relational integrity of the home, though it would still be able to stand in its own right.
One basement window has been blocked for a vent, but this is minimal and reversible.
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The consultants were unsure if the ornate iron fence surrounding the house is original. If not, it does fit in with the style of
the house.
Accessibility issues have been well addressed.
Condition:
The Blue Earth County Historical Society and the City of Mankato have done an excellent job preserving the Hubbard
House as a house museum. The house is well maintained, with especially the woodwork and detailing in excellent
condition, from the widow’s walk on down.
The consultants did notice some small issues, mostly paint related (especially on the fence and the metal roofing
sections). It appears that this work is undertaken as part of regular maintenance.
There is some slight efflorescence on the chimney that might be addressed.
Sources:
‐
Schuster, Marcia and Charlie Nelson. Hubbard House National Register nomination completed February, 1976.
‐
Gebhard, David and Tom Martinson. A Guide to the Architecture of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press, 1977.
‐
Hughes, Thomas. History of Blue Earth County, and Biographies of Its Leading Citizens. Chicago: Middle West
Publishing Company, assumed 1909.
‐
No author cited. Mankato, Its First Fifty Years. Mankato: Free Press Printing Company, 1903.
‐
Hubbard House website, http://www.bechshistory.com/hubbard_house/history.html. Accessed November, 2010.
‐
Wikipedia page, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renesselaer_D._Hubbard_House. Accessed October, 2010.
Photographic Documentation:
R.D. Hubbard House ca. 1910.
Property of the Blue Earth County Historical Society photography collection.
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Main elevation on Board Street
South and east elevations looking northwest
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Broad Street entrance detail
Carriage house looking to the north and westerly
South elevation side porch detail
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Sanborn Documentation:
The Hubbard House as it appeared in October 1884 in the Sanborn Insurance Maps
As it appeared in the 1894 Sanborn Maps
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And in the 1900 Sanborn Maps after the construction of Cray House (1897) at 603 South 2
nd
Street