Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-13 PACKET 05.C.Cottage Grove fee Pride 306Q0 6peritY Meet TO: Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation FROM: John M. Burbank, Senior Planner DATE: December 31, 2014 RE: Historic Woodward /Nelson House Demolition Introduction On Monday, December 28, 2014, the Historic Woodward /Nelson Homes at 8578 and 8600 90th Street and associated outbuildings were demolished under a demolition permit issued by the City. Last week, the Peaceful Grove Church had applied for the demolition of two homes and two accessory structures on their property. The smallest home was a small post WWII vernacular bungalow (8600 90th Street) and the second was the Historic Woodward /Nelson Farmhouse (WA -CGC -047) 8578 90th Street, which is of Vernacular Gabled Ell construction design. This structure was constructed circa 1870. The structure has a limestone and poured foundation which failed several years ago. The property has been boarded up since 2011 during a nuisance abatement case with the City's Code Enforcement Division. To date, no additional work or funding has been put into the structures by the current property owners. Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation Historic Woodward /Nelson House Demolition December 31, 2014 Page 2 of 2 The site is historic and a Findings of Significance was issued in 1990, but the property was never registered on the Local Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks. The ACHP did discuss the property several meetings ago when the church raised demolition as a possible outcome of addressing the aging structures. The Committee concurred that if the current property owners were not going to invest time and money in the structures, an adaptive reuse was probably not in the picture. Lacking rehabilitation and an adaptive reuse, the ACHP recommended that the buildings be photo documented for the City's historic records. The contractor indicated that they could work with the City on photo documenting the site prior to demolition. The demolition permit was signed with conditions requiring photo documentation and that if during construction any unique "finds" are made, the City would be contacted. The photo documentation was completed as required, and the photo below is from the interior of the farmhouse. Additional photos are attached and will be shared at the meeting. The photos will be included in the City's Historic Archive. Recommendation No action required. (. —� - -- �, > <s;= .. -.,j <, ` r )� � ill . i2 �� ���` �i '' i i' II fil I 1� P �f' 14 'I i i i ' 1I ' i I ", 1 �I �� i!. :� �, a u��l ,, i ME .;; :,;� 1 A � �� AC A .,y. =A'Y .. _ �`t � ��I 1' _ 1 rr �I v` � G _ � .� � f I 1 � _ �L� ��f�� I I - I �I � � � �� '- � � lip.•,,. . 1 � 4 '� { / 1 I �. � � � v !!1555 � � n � �� q -' =� r,� � ,,�,�- � ,� ,, �. I � ,, ,� � ►i �l l l l l. �, �� -�, ',.� ,::� _ ; ,, , f 7��. , `�- '/ t '� . ��. r - � � •'i. ;?�� �. t r i. �yx 7�' rr ' t ^' 7 1 Y i � e �1�7GF �T 4 _ -""_ d- a ,�� ►. ,� -�;, ,. ,:: � T•: �+�'x• -? ���' - ,. FINDING OF SIGNIFICANCE Resource name: Woodward House Location: 8578 90th Street South Owner: Peaceful Grove Methodist Church HSI ID #: 047 SHPO #: WA -CGC -047 Resource type: House Architectural style /type: Vernacular Gabled Ell Date of construction. circa 1870/1890 addition Representation In existing surveys: Reconnaissance 1988 Integrity: Good This property has been evaluated as substantially meeting the criteria for nomination to the City Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks (see City Code Sec. 13A -4). The applicable criteria are indicated below: [ I Its character, Interest, or value as part of the history or cultural heritage or the City of Cottage Grove, the State of Minnesota, or the United States. [X] Its association with persons or events that have made a significant contrlbut'lon to the cultural heritage of the City. [ I Its potential to yield information Important In history or prehistory. [XI Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of architectural type or style, or elements of design, detail, materials; or craftsmanship. [ ] Its unique location or singular physical appearance representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood or commun.lty of the City. Dated thisl6th day of August , 19 90 Attest: X '4 �^ rson Clty Hlstorlc Preservation Officer � 1IIr ='J 'III - - U � -- 7/A T TIM T IN Yljlf . ... .... .... mbw VV % CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE HISTORIC FARMSTEAD PROJEC WOODWARD SITE LOCATION MAP SITE 7 City of Cottage Grove, Minnesota Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation NELSON - WOODWARD FARMSTEAD 8578 90th Street South City Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks Registration Documentation and Preservation Planning Report Prepared by Robert C. Vogel City Historic Preservation Officer Draft This document presents the data and information supporting the registration of an.indi- vidual historic property or historic district in the City Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks pursuant to Chapter 13A of the City Code. In general, the format corresponds to the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form data elements and the terminology. follows the same conventions used for documenting National Register properties. Maps, photographs, and other illustrative material are attached hereto; other supporting documentation, including corre- spondence and official documents, is also attached. 1. IDENTIFICATION DATA (a) Historic name: Nelson - Woodward Farmstread. (b) Common names: Woodward Farmstead; Peaceful Grove United Methodist Church. (c) Inventory identification number: WA -CGC -047. (d) Street address: 8578 90th Street South. (e) Other location data: On 90th Street and Inwood Avenue next to Armstrong Elementary School. (f) Owner name: Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. (g) Owner address: 122 Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN. (h) Owner telephone number: Contact Rev. James Bakker (612) 459- 8165. 2. PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION DATA (a) Ownership classification: privately owned. (b) Historic property category: buildings. (c) Number of contributing resources: 5 buildings, 0 sites, 0 structures. (d) Number of non - contributing resources: 0 buildings, 3 sites, 0 structures. (e) Title of related multiple property study: "Historic Farmsteads of Cottage Grove Minnesota, 1838- 1940." (f) National Register status: N/A (g) Determination of City Register eligibility: ACHP Finding of Significance issued on 16 August 1990. 3. DESCRIPTION (a) Property type: farmstead (b) Historic function /use: agriculture /domestic. (c) Current function /use: domestic /religion. (d) Condition of property: well preserved. 4. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION The historic Nelson - Woodward farmstead is located on a large lot on the comer of 90th Street and Inwood Avenue in a fully - developed resient}al neighborhood that dates from the 1970s. Contiguous land uses are low and medium density residential (Thompson Grove Estates and Pine Ridge Addition), commercial, and a public school (Armstrong Elementary). The Nelson - Woodward House is a large example of the vernacular Gabled Ell and comprises a series of late 19th and early 20th century additions to the original ca. 1870 farmhouse. The roomy 1 -1/2 story house features an irregular ground plan, a gabled roof with wide eaves, and horizontal lapboard siding. The core of the house measures 29 -1/2 by 35 feet, not including appendages. The foundation under the oldest part of the house is limestone, the rest poured concrete, and there is a partial basement - cellar. There is an inset porch at the southeast corner of the house with a hipped roof supported by two round wooden columns, and a canted bay window next to the porch with one - over -one glazing. There is another small porch on the east side of the house, which is painted white; the original wood shingle roofing has been partially replaced by green asphalt shingles. Interior spaces feature large rooms with high- ceilings and simple but attractive decorative details characteristic of the late Victorian era. There are two small outbuildings associated with the main house. The largest, measuring 14 feet 8 inches square, is located about 50 feet southeast of the house and is a single -story gabel- roofed structure with wide - reveal lapboard siding that is held in place with square- headed iron nails. It rests on a limestone rubble foundation and has a small red brick chimney. It has a split -wood shingle roof with a metal ridge molding similar to that on the main house. The door is on the west side, facing the house, and there is a small shuttered opening under the opposite gable. The second accessory building is situated less than 4 feet north of the other building. It is a small, gable- roofed frame building, measuring 14 foot 8 inches by 8 foot 5 inches, with lap - board siding and a wood shingle roof. It sits upon a concrete foundation and was built with cut - wire nails. The farm cottage is a small, plain 1 -1/2 story detached wood frame building with an L- shaped ground plan and a steeply- pitched gable roof covered with green asphalt shingles. Architectural historians call this house type the Vernacular L- Cottage or Gabled Cottage, from its characteris- tic floor plan and roof shape. Most Cottage Grove examples were constructed between ca. 1910 and 1950. Oral history dates the cottage to ca. 1946. The house measures approximately 26 by 36 feet. The walls are covered with horizontal lapboard siding that is painted white and the exterior is nearly devoid of decoration. There is a small rear addition. The granary is a large balloon framed building with a gabled roof and end doors, built ca. 1920. It rests on a poured concrete foundation, is sided with lapped weatherboards, and has an asphalt shingle roof. The building encloses eight wooden stalls which were used for hay storage. There is a small square door under the west- facing gable which may have provided access to a haymow which has been removed. The granary is painted white, with green shingles: The barn foundation measures 30 by 40 feet and is marked by a mound of dirt containing a quantity of debris (including concrete fragments from demolished pumphouse and silo), over- grown with weeds. The limestone rubble and poured concrete foundation extends 32 inches below the surface. Concrete driveway into barn. A concrete foundation 75 feet north of the barn measures 50 by 24 feet and marks the farmer machinery shed. According to information provided by Charles Woodward in 1994, the barn held about twenty -five dairy cows when it was owned by Arthur J. Woodward in the early 1900s. A long wood frame, gable- roofed machine shed was formerly preserved on site but had to be demolished because of its deteriorated condition. It featured vertical board siding, end open- ings, and green asphalt shingles. Two historic farmstead structures were demolished in 1994: a pumphouse and a silo. The historic pumphouse was a small, hip- roofed structure made of rusti- cated concrete block that stood at the foot of the driveway. The silo was constructed of con- crete staves held together with iron straps. Both were in deteriorated condition and were viewed as a potential safety hazard. 5. EVALUATION (a) Applicable City Register eligibility criteria: Sec. 13A -4(a), historic character; (b) historical association with persons or events; (d) design characteristics. (b) Applicable National Register eligibility criteria: A and C. (c) Local historic context(s): "Late -19th Century Agricultural Expansion." (d) Statewide historic context(s): "Railroads and Agricultural Development" (e) Area(s) of significance: agriculture; architecture. (f) Significant dates: ca. 1870 (date of construction). (g) Significant person(s): Swan Nelson; Martin L. Nelson; Arthur Woodward. 6. NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Swan Nelson house is shown at this location in A. T. Andreas' atlas (1874). The location is' later identified Swan Nelson's house on Foote & Co.'s 1887 map. Swan Nelson was a Swedish immigrant farm laborer who arrived in southern Washington County in 1854 and acquired his Cottage Grove farm in 1871, eventually farming 207 acres. He married Margaret Mattson, also a native of Sweden, and his name appears on several early road petitions but his activities are otherwise undocumented. He subsequently moved to St. Paul. According to the biographical sketch in Easton's History of the Saint Croix Valley, Swan Nelson's son Martin L. Nelson was born 1870, worked as a clerk in the Woodward & Sons store and elevator in Langdon, and was a popular member of the local Republican Party organization for many years; it is assumed that he resided in Langdon until 1905, when he reportedly moved back to the home farm. Records in the Cottage Grove archives indicate that Martin Nelson served several terms as township clerk in the early 1900s. Charles Woodward relates that he subsequently moved to California. The Swan Nelson house is depicted at this location on the Northwest Pub. Co. 1901 township plat. The property is shown as part of the R E. Woodward farm on Hixon's 1916 plat. In the 20th century, the Nelson - Woodward farmstead was the home of Arthur (died 1970) and `Florence Woodward. Woodward was the grandson, of George Woodward (1825- 1893), who came to Cottage Grove from New York City in 1855 and eventually acquired more than a thou- sand acres of prime farmland in the township. With his son, Forrest E. Woodward (1852- 1930), he managed extensive real estate holdings and business interests; he was proprietor of the Woodward & Sons elevator and store in Langdon and one of the prime movers behind the Langdon Butter and Cheese Factory, which was located alongside the Territorial Road in sec- tion 17. The Woodward family estate sold the farmstead to the Methodist Church in 1989. The Nelson- Woodward farmhouse is architecturally significant because it represents a substan- tially unaltered, well preserved example of the vernacular Gabled Ell house type. Gabled Ell morphology described in National Register Bulletin 31 (Wyatt 1987, pp. 32 -33): Similar in ground plan to the Upright- and -Wing folk house, the Gabled Ell is, however, a popular house type of the post -Civil War period. It can be defined entirely in terms of its volumetric characteristics. The ground plan takes the shape of an L and is sited so that the facade comprises a gabled upright, one to three bays in width, and a side wing of varying dimension. In some regions the Gabled Ell may assume a T rather than an L- shape. The entrance is usually not in the upright portion of the house but at the perpen- dicular wing, sheltered by a porch. It must be emphasized that the side wing is an inte- gral part of the building core. As a component of the facade, the wing ranges in hori- zontal dimension from a diminutive extension sufficient to house only a door or a win- dow to volumetric domination of the upright element. The Gabled Ell is a one- and -one- half to two storied house, with an intersecting gabled roof. The apexes of both roofs may be the same height or a half story different in height. The core of the house dates from ca. 1870, with its major additions dating from ca. 1890. The ca. 1920 granary and the two small accessory buildings associated with the farmhouse con- tribute substantially to the historic character of the property, the farm cottage less so. The ruins of the dairy barn may have some research value as an archeological site but the other building foundations appear non- significant. The Peaceful Grove United Methodist Church was formed in late 1989. Under the leadership of pastor James Bakker and the church building committee, the congregation has decided to adapt the farmhouse and outbuildings to new uses as part of a modern church campus. Construction of the new church complex is expected to begin in late 1994 or. early 1995. 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY The following sources were used in preparing this document. Andreas, A. T. 1874. Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Minnesota . Andreas Atlas Co., Chicago. Cottage Grove Township Records. Easton, Augustus B. 1909. History of the Saint Croix Valley. H. C. Cooper, Chicago. Foote & Co. 1887. Ramsey & Washington Counties... Minneapolis. Hixon, W. W. 1916. Plat Book of the State of Minnesota. Minneapolis. Vogel, Robert C. 1990. The New England of the West... Cultural Resources Survey, City of Cottage Grove. Warner, George E., and Charles M. Foote. 1881. History of Washington County... North Star Pub. Co., Minneapolis. Washington County Bulletin. 5 April 1990. Woodward, Charles. Personal communication, 15 June 1994. Woodward, Charles, and Belden. 1972. Cottage Grove... Unpublished manuscript. Wyatt, Barbara (ed.). 1987. National Register Bulletin 31: Surveying and Evaluating Vernacular Architecture. National Park Service, Washington. 8. PLANNING DATA: (a) Acreage of property: approx. 5.5 acres. (b) Narrative boundary description: Part of the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 16, Township 27 North, Range 21 West. (c) Boundary justification: The property to be registered includes the entire parcel historically associated with the farmstead. (d) Current zoning: R -3 (single family residential). 9. PRESERVATION PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS The preferred historic preservation treatment of the Nelson- Woodward farmstead is protection and preservation. Rehabilitation of the Nelson- Woodward house should follow the Secretary of the Interior's stan- dards and guidelines. Reuse of the farmstead as a church campus has been proposed. Such a use would be compati- ble with the historic character of the property only if the distinguishing architectural qualities of the farmhouse and related outbuildings is preserved. The removal of the farm cottage and gra- nary should be avoided if possible. Every reasonable effort should be made to protect and preserve archeological deposits associat- ed with the barn and the house itself. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS: 1) ACHP Finding of Significance 2) Site location map. 3) Photograph of the Nelson - Woodward farmhouse.