The Minnesota PPThereservationistreservationist Minnesota Issue 2, 2012 HistoryHistory BeneathBeneath OurOur FeetFeet atat FujiFuji YaYa Table of Contents Features Help for the Historic Homeowner Erin Hanafi n Berg 4 The Minnesota Inspired by Pioneers, Volunteers are Saving Preservationist an 1852 Schoolhouse Volume 15, Number 2 Mavis and Bob Voigt 5-6 Issue 2, 2012 History Beneath Our Feet— The Archaeology of the Fuji-Ya Site Preservation Alliance of Minnesota Peer Halvorsen and Jennifer Bring, The 106 Group Ltd. 9-12 416 Landmark Center In Pursuit of Main Street Designation 75 W. Fifth Street Della Schmidt 13 Saint Paul, MN 55102-9775 651.293.9047 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mnpreservation.org Board of Directors Good News , Minneapolis, Chair Advocates for the Bemidji Carnegie Library , Rochester, Vice Chair , CPA, Farmington, Treasurer Take a Giant Step Forward , Saint Paul, Secretary Katherine Scott 14-15 , Minneapolis Rogers Columns , Saint Paul , Minneapolis Editor’s Note , Saint Paul Will O’Keefe 3 , Minneapolis Perspectives on Preservation: Matt Hill, Saint Paul Norman Jones III, Minneapolis Jennie Eukel 7-8 , Excelsior Minnesota Main Street Vanessa Matiski, Saint Paul Emily Northey 16 , Minneapolis , Wayzata Out Standing in the Field , Winona Erin Hanafi n Berg 17-18 , Minneapolis The Last Word , Minneapolis Bonnie McDonald 19 E x - O c i o Where Is It? *, Saint Paul Bill Morgan 20 , Saint Paul Honorary Director , Saint Paul S t a , Executive Director , Field Representative , Minnesota Main Street Program Coordinator , Communications & Programs Coordinator Editing Team , Editors , Design Production of this issue of The Minnesota Preservationist Contributors to this Issue was made possible through a generous grant from the Erin Hanafi n Berg, Wayne Boyd, Jennifer Bring, Jessica Norman Dewey, Jennie Eukel, Peer Halvorsen, Christine Lick, Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation Bonnie McDonald, Bill Morgan, Emily Northey, Will O’Keefe, Della Schmidt, Katherine Scott, of Rochester, Minnesota Mavis and Bob Voigt *State Historic Preservation Offi cer The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota is a private, nonprofi t, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and promoting Minnesota’s historic resources. PAM is a Statewide Partner of the National Trust for On the Cover Historic Preservation. Views expressed in The Minnesota Preservationist do not necessarily refl ect the position of more on the fascinating story of Fuji-Ya. the organization or its board of directors. Photo courtesy of the 106 Group Ltd. 2 THE MINNESOTA PRESERVATIONIST Editor’s Note ne of the incredibly unique things about my job as Othe Communication & Programs Coordinator for the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota is that I get to speak with some of the most dedicated and optimistic people. Each issue we try to tell some of the “Good News” in preservation, but this issue, combined with a few recent events, provides me with such excitement and good feelings about preservationists. It’s probably easiest to just lay out a few examples of this: • Gene and Maxine Schmidt (see right) declared April 18th to be “Hug a Historic Building Day” and celebrated by hugging the Fergus Falls Regional Treatment. If people are celebrating “Talk Like a Pirate Day” and “Hug a Blogger” then I would like to second Gene and Maxine’s declaration. • We held our fi rst pub crawl of the year last month; what an amazing turnout! We explored some of the historic drinking establishments in the West 7th Neighborhood of Saint Paul. Sixty people purchased tickets for the event, with attendees spanning more than fi ve decades in age. It was pretty amazing to walk throughout the crowd seeing the smiling faces and conversations being had, all in the name of historic buildings. • In this issue you’ll read about the advocacy e ort for the Bemidji Carnegie Library. We’ve seen time and again that local politicians are unwilling to see historic buildings as assets and yet in Bemidji, we saw an incredible changing of hearts and minds. • The Minnesota Main Street program held its fi rst Basic Training of the year in New Ulm and had so many attendees that we needed to go out and buy a whole lot more nametags. • I received an email from Mavis and Bob Voigt (who you will read about a little later in the issue) telling of the celebration planned for when the SOS: Save Our School Campaign Steering Committee o cially takes ownership of the Valley School in Point Douglas, Minnesota after raising $40,000 to purchase the building. • The HPC in Minneapolis reviewed the city’s application for demolition of Peavey Plaza, a modernist landmark, and denied it. Despite the City Council overruling the HPC in Minneapolis, we want to give them credit for their review of the city’s application to demolish Peavey Plaza. In denying the request, they stood up. We thank all HPC members for their time and energy ensuring that historic resources are given fair consideration before irreparable damage can be done. Thinking back on each of these things, I can’t help but smile a little bit knowing that the people who support us and that we hope to represent Welcome New Members! and enable to the best of our abilities are so awesome. Thank you all! Conley Brooks, Wayzata Lorrie Buirge, Minneapolis As always, if you have any comments, positive or negative feedback, Arielle Courtney, Minneapolis please feel free to email me at [email protected]. Jeanne Daily, Elverson, PA Richard Henderson, Saint Paul Barbara Howard, Saint Paul Shannon Malzahn, Osage Aaron Martin, Saint Paul Will O’Keefe Multivista, Maple Grove Editor Sam O’Connell, Burnsville David Parker, Stillwater Nick Pernsteiner, Champlin Anita Robeson, Southlake, TX Jennifer Schilling, Saint Paul Arturo Steely, Minneapolis Brian Wagner, Eau Claire, WI WWW.MNPRESERVATION.ORG 3 |features| Help for the Historic Homeowner By Erin Hanafi n Berg y heart always sinks a little when I receive a message that a household has to be near the poverty line to be Mlike this one, from Jenny in Duluth: eligible—the guidelines are often set as a percentage of the area’s median household income. (You might be I am wondering if there are any programs, funding surprised to learn what qualifi es as “low-income” in your or loan options for purchasing a home that needs community.) restoration. The home is not on the historic registry, but it is a beautiful brick house built in 1913 that needs Rebates for energy-e cient appliance upgrades extensive repairs. The house is in foreclosure, and I (furnace, refrigerator, water heater, etc.) are often would like to learn about any programs that might available through the local utility company or exist to help me restore it as my primary residence. community-based energy agency. In Duluth, the local Unfortunately, there are very few preservation utility is Minnesota Power, which has an extensive list programs available in Minnesota to help residential of rebates. DEEP —Duluth Energy E ciency Program— property owners. The new state rehabilitation tax credit o ers up to $2,500 in rebates for all income levels. is only available for income-producing properties that Weatherization assistance for low-income residents are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. is available across the state, accessed through local Grants, like the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants, partners like the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity typically can only be used by non-profi t organizations Agency in Duluth. (If you plan to undertake or municipal entities. Minnesota had a property tax weatherization improvements, be sure to read our exemption program, called This Old House, that allowed information on window rehabilitation before you assume homeowners to freeze their local property taxes at that your windows need replacing!) the pre-renovation value for up to fi fteen years, but There are also some special HUD-fi nanced rehab loans the program ended in 2003 and the legislature has available through mortgage companies and banks. seemed reluctant to reauthorize it. We lag behind our According to HUD, “The borrower can get just one neighbors in Wisconsin, where a 25% income tax credit mortgage loan, at a long-term fi xed (or adjustable) rate, is available for historic homeowners; reportedly, more to fi nance both the acquisition and the rehabilitation than 16,000 historic houses might qualify. In terms of of the property” (as opposed to a fi rst mortgage, historic preservation funding, Minnesota homeowners which would fi nance the purchase of the property pre- come up short. renovation, and then higher-rate construction loans to But other funding-assistance programs out there fund the rehab work). Also, there are still programs can help, and many people don’t know to turn fi rst through Minnesota Housing to assist fi rst-time to their local housing agencies. Many Community homebuyers, or buyers who have not owned a home Development Corporations (CDCs) have residential within the past three years. MHFA’s CASA program housing improvements and neighborhood stability as includes a “purchase and repair” option, but it is only the core of their missions and may have loans, grants, available in targeted areas and both income limits and or other fi nancial resources available. In Duluth, for purchase price limits apply. example, Neighborhood Housing Services is the local Financial assistance is available for rehabilitating lending partner that provides access to the Minnesota an older home, but you need to know where to look. Housing Finance Agency’s (MHFA) Fix-Up Funds. Hopefully this gives Jenny, and others like her, a place Oftenincome qualifi cations apply, but this doesn’t mean to start. 4 THE MINNESOTA PRESERVATIONIST Inspired by Pioneers, Volunteers are saving an 1852 Schoolhouse By Mavis and Bob Voigt wo former students of the historic TValley School in Denmark Township joined more than 50 other guests on May Day to witness the rebirth of one of Minnesota’s oldest schoolhouses.