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:
Property Information Architect: Style:
Date Const: State Historic Context: Local Historic Context: Historic Present Use: Use: Property Survey Name: Mankato Local Designation Survey Type: NR Status: NR Recommendation: Prepared Thomas R. Zahn & Associates LLC Survey Date: October 2010 by: Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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 County: Blue Earth (aka 112 Pike Street)
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 Survey Date: October 2010 LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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 3- sided 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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 2
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 roofline at that end has also been altered, which partially covers the 2nd 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. A fire exit from the 2nd floor has been added along this façade. Unobtrusive bollards separate this area from the still- extant 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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 3
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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 4
Union Depot east façade
Union Depot north façade
MANKATO UNION DEPOT • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 5 of 5
Union Depot west façade
Union Depot window/door detail
MANKATO UNION DEPOT • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 6 of 6
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 & Survey Date: October 2010 Associates LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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. BLUE EARTH COUNTY COURTHOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 4
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 example of Minnesota’s late 19th 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: The exterior of the building appears to be in very good condition. There is some minor staining of the stone above the 4th 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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 4
Photographic Documentation:
Courthouse 1903 MHS photographic archives
Courthouse west elevation BLUE EARTH COUNTY COURTHOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 4
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, Style: Richardsonian Romanesque Minneapolis
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 & Survey Date: October 2010 Associates LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 4
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.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 4
Photographic Documentation:
Early photographs of First Presbyterian Church MHS photographic archives
Looking to the northwest
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 4
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 County: Blue Earth (original 228 East Clark)
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 Survey Date: October 2010 LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 5
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 non- partisan 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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 5
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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 5
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 • Page 5 of 5
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 County: Blue Earth (originally 301 N. Front Street)
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 Railroad and Agricultural Development Context: 1870-1940
Local Historic Architecture, Commerce Context:
Historic Use: Hotel Present Use: Bar/Restaurant
Property Type: Building Survey Name: Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status: Listed (North Front Street NR Listed Commercial District), July 28, Recommendation: 1980
Prepared by: Thomas R. Zahn & Associates Survey Date: October 2010 LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Description: The Stahl House is a three-story commercial building, originally a hotel, and is a good example of commercial building from the end of the 19th 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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 2
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.
The Stahl House itself was the second hotel built in Mankato. It was advertised as a “1st class hotel, with 2nd 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 mid- 1980s, 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.
STAHL HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 3
Photographic Documentation:
South and west elevations
South elevation
STAHL HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 4
Brick condition detail
Rear elevations
STAHL HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 5 of 5
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
Plat Name: Block: 000
USGS Quad Mankato East, Minnesota Lot: 000
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 Building Survey Name: Mankato Local Designation Survey Type: NR Status: Listed June 2, 1983 NR Recommendation: Listed
Prepared by: Thomas R. Zahn & Associates LLC Survey Date: October 2010 Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
Description: Old Main is really a set of two buildings, aligned along 5th 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.” OLD MAIN • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form Page 2 of 6
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. OLD MAIN • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form Page 3 of 6
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. OLD MAIN • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form Page 4 of 6
Photographic Documentation:
th Early 20 -century postcard of Old Main MHS photographic archives
Old Main (Mankato State) looking northeast
OLD MAIN • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form Page 5 of 6
South-facing elevation
Courtyard detail showing brick staining Modern addition to east elevation
OLD MAIN • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form Page 6 of 6
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 County: Blue Earth (original 325 North Front Street)
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 Railroad and Agricultural Context: Development 1870-1940 Local Historic Commerce Context:
Historic Use: Physician Present Use: Insurance Agency
Property Type: Building Survey Name: Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status: Listed (North Front Street NR Listed Commercial District), July 28, Recommendation: 1980
Prepared by: Thomas R. Zahn & Survey Date: October 2010 Associates LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 5
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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 5
Photographic Documentation:
This image from the 1980 nomination documentation shows 325 as a single-bay storefront with one-over-one double- hung windows. The building to the south also appears to be a single-story structure but separated from the .
West elevation
HEILSCHER PHYSICIAN BUILDING • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 5
Streetscape looking to the northeast
Rear elevation
HEILSCHER PHYSICIAN BUILDING • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 5 of 5
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 County: Blue Earth (originally 329 North Front Street)
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 Railroad and Agricultural Context: Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Architecture, Commerce Context: Historic Tailor Shop Present Use: Coffee House Use: Property Building Survey Name: Mankato Local Designation Survey Type: NR Status: Listed (North Front Street NR Listed Commercial District), July 28, 1980 Recommendation:
Prepared Thomas R. Zahn & Associates LLC Survey Date: October 2010 by: Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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.
WENZL HUTTL TAILOR SHOP • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory • Form Page 2 of 2
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 • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory • Form Page 3 of 3
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 Main elevation looking southeast
North elevation
WENZL HUTTL TAILOR SHOP • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory • Form Page 4 of 4
Detail of carved names, graffiti, and signage on north wall Rear (east) elevation
Sanborn Map Documentation:
The Huttl Building as it appeared in the 1894 Sanborn Insurance Maps MANKATO MINNESOTA ARCHITECTURE-HISTORY INVENTORY FORM
Property Location
Property Name: Kenney House Inventory No. BE-MKC-346 (Tacy Kelly’s House)
Address: 332 Center Street County: Blue Earth
City/Twp: Mankato PIN: R010918307018
Plat Name: Block: 028
USGS Quad Mankato West, Minnesota Lot: 007
Property Information
Architect: unknown Style: Homestead (vernacular)
Date Const: 1881 State Historic Railroad and Agricultural Context: Development 1870-1940
Local Historic Literary Context:
Historic Use: Private Residence Present Use: House Museum
Property Type: Building Survey Name: Mankato Local Designation Survey
NR Status: Not Listed NR Potential for Listing Recommendation: (Multiple property nomination)
Prepared by: Thomas R. Zahn & Associates Survey Date: October 2010 LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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.
KENNEY HOUSER • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 2
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.
KENNEY HOUSER • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 3
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
KENNEY HOUSER • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 4
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 Inventory No. BE-MKC-347 (Betsy Ray’s House)
Address: 333 Center Street County: Blue Earth
City/Twp: Mankato PIN: R010918308013
Plat Name: Block: 027
USGS Quad Mankato West, Minnesota Lot: 008
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 & Survey Date: October 2010 Associates LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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. MAUD HART LOVELACE HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 2
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.
MAUD HART LOVELACE HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 3
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 MAUD HART LOVELACE HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 4
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) Block: 007 Warren Street Subdivision
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 Survey Date: October 2010 LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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 delineating the 2nd and 3rd 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 the 3rd 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.
The north side of the property has another semi-circular bay, an arched balcony off of the 3rd 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. LORIN CRAY HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 8
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.
The YWCA occupied the house for the remainder of the 20th 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.
LORIN CRAY HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 8
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.
LORIN CRAY HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 8
Photographic Documentation:
Historic photograph looking to the southeast. MHS photographic archives Note that Warren Street originally was located north of the Cray House.
LORIN CRAY HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 5 of 8
Cray House ca. 1973 MHS photographic archives
Front elevation on 2nd Street West and south elevations
LORIN CRAY HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 6 of 8
South elevation looking to the northwest
Brickwork detail on main elevation
LORIN CRAY HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 7 of 8
Brickwork detail Column base detail
Grading in northern yard.
LORIN CRAY HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 8 of 8
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) Block: — Warren Street Subdivision
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 Present Use: House Museum, Secondary Structure Structure (carriage house) (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 & Survey Date: October 2010 Associates LLC Thomas Zahn, Principal Bethany Gladhill, Associate
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 R.D. HUBBARD HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 2 of 7 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.
R.D. HUBBARD HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 3 of 7
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.
R.D. HUBBARD HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 4 of 7
Main elevation on Board Street
South and east elevations looking northwest
R.D. HUBBARD HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 5 of 7
Broad Street entrance detail South elevation side porch detail
Carriage house looking to the north and westerly
R.D. HUBBARD HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 6 of 7
Sanborn Documentation:
The Hubbard House as it appeared in October 1884 in the Sanborn Insurance Maps
As it appeared in the 1894 Sanborn Maps R.D. HUBBARD HOUSE • Mankato Minnesota Architecture‐History Inventory Form • Page 7 of 7
And in the 1900 Sanborn Maps after the construction of Cray House (1897) at 603 South 2nd Street