HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-06-14 PACKET 05.A.Cottage
J Grove
here Pride and VrOsPerity Meet
TO: Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation
FROM: Mike Mrosla, Senior Planner
DATE: December 14, 2021
RE: 10301 Grey Cloud Trail Mitigation Discussion
Background
The William Cowan/Okey House located at 10301 Grey Cloud Trail was identified as a priority site
in the City's Historic Preservation Strategy Report. The City's report indicated the structure embodies
the distinguishing characteristics of architectural type or style, or elements of design, detail, mate-
rials, or craftsmanship. The house was built circa 1850s and is of Greek Revival architecture. A
Finding of Significance was completed by the Cottage Grove Advisory Committee of Historical
Preservation in 1990 and submitted to Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (Attachment A).
Location Map
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Part and Open Space -
10301 Grey Cloud Trail Mitigation Discussion
June 14, 2022
Page 2 of 3
West (Front) Elevation
South (Side) Elevation
New History, the City's historical consultant, completed a historical evaluation of the subject property
(Attachment A). The purpose of the evaluation was to discover additional information on the history
of the site and to provide a professional opinion on the property's ability to qualify for local landmark
and/or National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) designation. The historical evaluation was
shared with ACHP at the December 14, 2021, meeting.
The historical evaluation stated that the property appears to meet local Criterion 1 and Criterion 4 for
historic significance. However, the alterations to the property over time have impacted the historical
integrity. Below is an excerpt from page 17 of the historical evaluation.
In order to be locally designated, a property must not only meet criteria for historic significance
but also retain integrity. In other words, it must retain enough of its physical features and
materials to convey its historic significance. As Chapter 9 of the City Code of Cottage Grove
does not provide criteria for evaluating integrity, we have considered the integrity of the
subject property using the National Park Service (NPS) definition of integrity. According to the
National Register Bulletin How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation'28 a
property's integrity is recognized through seven aspects or qualities:
1) Location
2) Setting
3) Design
10301 Grey Cloud Trail Mitigation Discussion
June 14, 2022
Page 3 of 3
4)
Workmanship
5)
Materials
6)
Feeling
7)
Association
Research and on -site investigation suggest that the property has experienced some
significant alterations since its original construction. There have been some changes to the
property's setting, most noticeably the development of the golf course to the southeast.
Alterations to the house's original materials, design, and workmanship include a one-story
addition added around 1942, roof dormers added in the 1960s, stucco cladding applied to the
exterior in the mid-1960s or early 1970s, and roofing replaced with asphalt shingles at an
unknown date. Additionally, it is likely the house originally had an entrance portico later
replaced by a porch, which has since been removed. The property appears to meet local
Criterion 1 and Criterion 4 for historic significance. However, alternations to the property have
impacted integrity.
As stated above the structure has lost a lot of integrity since it was originally constructed in the
1850's. The original construction of the house illustrates an example of limestone building construc-
tion. The structure was constructed of hewn (hand cut) limestone, with walls as thick as three and
half feet. However, the house's limestone walls are covered with stucco and other modern improve-
ments that impacted the historical significance of the structure. The following are some possible
mitigation options include for the ACHP to consider:
Documentation:
o Research on the site's social history— complete (Attachment A)
o Option 1 — Photographic documentation
o Option 2 — Construction drawings with photos detailing how the structure was
constructed.
• Interpretation (presentation of information to the public):
o A display at City Hall
o Online publication
• Future plaque on site
Discussion
Staff will provide an overview of the mitigation strategies identified above.
Attachments
A. Historical Evaluation
NEW HISTORY
H I STO R I CAL EVALUATION
10301 Grey Cloud Trail, Cottage Grove
November 2021
575 9TH STREET SE, STE 215 1 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55414 1 612.843.4140 1 NEWHISTORY.COM
Historical Evaluation
10301 Grey Cloud Trail
Cottage Grove, Minnesota 55016
Prepared for:
City of Cottage Grove
12800 Ravine Pkwy South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
By:
New History
575 Ninth Street Southeast, Suite 215
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
(612) 843-4140
www.newhistory.com
For questions and comments:
Lauren Anderson, anderson@newhistory.com
Meghan Elliott, eliott@newhistory.com
(612) 843-4140
02021 New History
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Site History
Historic Context
10301 Grey Cloud Trail
City of Cottage Grove Local Designation
Past Determinations of Historic Significance
Designation Criteria
Integrity
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Designation
Sources Consulted
Appendix A: Current Photos
1
2
2
5
11
11
11
12
12
14
17
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report summarizes our historical research on the 10301 Grey Cloud Trail property in
Cottage Grove. The purpose of our research was to provide additional information on the history of
the site. We have also provided our preliminary recommendations and professional opinion on the
property's ability to qualify for local landmark and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)
designation.
Site History:
• The current site features a house and barn on 2.75 acres of land. The house was likely
constructed between 1850 and 1886. The associated barn was constructed at an unknown
date, but it is possible that it dates to the same time period. From the time of its construction
until the mid-1900s, the property was associated with dozens of acres of surrounding farm
land.
• For most of its history, the house appears to have primarily operated as a single-family
residence for individuals and/or families who farmed the surrounding acreage.
Past Determinations of Historic Significance:
The property is not currently locally designated as a historic site. A 1990 survey of Cottage
Grove recommended the property for additional research and local designation.
• The property is not currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Local Landmark Designation:
For a property to be locally designated by the City of Cottage Grove, it must demonstrate
historical significance by meeting at least one of the City's five criteria for designation and
retain integrity (the physical materials and features that were present during the time when
the property achieved historical significance).
• Based on our research, we believe that the property meets Criterion 1 for its association with
Cottage Grove's history as a rural, agricultural community. Additionally, the property likely
meets Criterion 4 as a unique local example of limestone building construction.
The building has experienced several alterations since its construction, which may impact its
integrity.
National Register of Historic Places Designation:
• For a property to be listed on the National Register, it must demonstrate historic significance
by meeting at least one of the National Park Service's Criteria for Evaluation and retain
integrity.
• Based on our research, additional information is needed to assess the property's eligibility for
the National Register. Alterations to integrity may pose a challenge to NRHP listing.
SITE HISTORY
HISTORIC CONTEXT
10301 Grey Cloud Trail
is located in the southwest corner
of the city of Cottage Grove in
Section 30 of Township 27
North, Range 21 West.
Historically, the house and barn
on this property were surrounded
by and associated with dozens of
acres of farmland, and they are
best understood within the
context of the agricultural history
of Cottage Grove. This section
presents a brief summary of this
agricultural history followed by
an in-depth discussion of the
history of the property itself.
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The City of Cottage
Grove is located between the -
Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers in
an area historically known as the
St. Croix Triangle (modern-day
Washington and Ramsey Figure 1. 1847 plat map of Township 27 North, Range 21
1 West. Section 30 is
Counties. Most of the land highlighted in red. Map courtesy of United States Bureau of Land Management and
within the boundaries of the Minnesota General Land Office.
modern-day Cottage Grove is located in Township 27 (see Figure 1). Township 27 was first
surveyed in 1847 when the St. Croix Triangle was claimed by the United States government as part
of Wisconsin Territory. The area was subsequently incorporated into Minnesota Territory in 1849.1
The first Euro-American settler in the Cottage Grove area was likely James Sullivan Norris,
who staked his claim to a portion of Section 12 of Township 27 in 1843. Norris was followed by
1 George W. Jones, "Township No. 27N, Range No. 21 West 71h Mer.," March 15, 1848, United States Bureau of
Land Management, General Land Office Historic Plat Map Retrieval System,
https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/glo/index.html; Robert Vogel, The New England of the West: A Survey of Historic
Properties Associated with Early American Settlement in Cottage Grove (City of Cottage Grove, September 1990),
12; Robert Vogel, Cottage Grove History: A Palimpset (Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, City of
Cottage Grove, Minnesota, 1997), 2 — 3.
2
Figure 1. 1886 plat map of the Cottage Grove area showing the Chicago,
Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad (C M & St P) and the Chicago, Burlington and
Quinc (C e & Q) Railroads Location of Section 30 indicated in red Ma courtes of
other Euro-Americans mostly
from New England states, such
as New York, Maine, Vermont,
and New Hampshire. According
to historian Robert Vogel, "by
1855, Cottage Grove was one of
the fastest -growing rural
townships in Minnesota, with
schools, churches, a lyceum hall,
and perhaps twenty or thirty
farms." 2 The township of
Cottage Grove was officially
organized in May of 1858, days
after Minnesota achieved
statehood.'
Cottage Grove's earliest
settlers were largely subsistence
farmers who cultivated spring
wheat or potatoes as cash crops.'
By 1871, concentrated
settlement within the township
was limited to two small villages
— East Cottage Grove in Section
12, near the northeast corner of
y p y the township, and Langdon in
the University of Minnesota's UMedia.
Section 21, near the center of
the township. Cottage Grove was originally connected to river towns along the Mississippi River
and St. Croix River via wagon roads. The township received its first railroad line in 1869 when the
St. Paul and Chicago Railroad (later the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad or C M & SP)
constructed a station at Langdon (see Figure 2). The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (CB & Q)
z Vogel, Cottage Grove History, 2 — 3; Duane D. Fisher, "The Development of Cottage Grove, The First Rural
Settlement in Minnesota," term paper (Macalaster College, 1954), 5; Robert C. Vogel, "Historic Houses of Cottage
Grove: A Field Guide," Perspectives in Cottage Grove History, no. 1 (February 1986), "A Brief History of Cottage
Grove," on file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota; Robert Vogel, Preliminary Inventory of Pre-
1940 Houses in the City of Cottage Grove, (Prepared for the City of Cottage Grove Parks, Recreation and Natural
Resources Commission and the Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, September 1988), 9.
s Edward D. Neill, A History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley: Including the Explorers and Pioneers of
Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN: Northstar Publishing Company, 1881), 328.
4 Vogel, The New England of the West, 10 — 12.
3
was extended through the township in the late 1880s, passing along the southwest edge of Cottage
Grove Township to connect Prescott, Wisconsin to St. Paul (see Figure 2).'
During the early 1860s, the Civil War created an increased demand for grain and livestock.
This demand, combined with the arrival of the railroads and innovations in farm machinery, shifted
the focus of agricultural production in Cottage Grove from subsistence farming to commercial
agriculture. Throughout Washington County, the number of farms and the amount of acreage
under cultivation increased. Concurrently, Cottage Grove experienced a second wave of
immigration, including newcomers from Germany, Scandinavia, England, and Ireland. Until about
1880, agricultural production focused on wheat, which was sold and shipped to other locations.
During the late 1800s, farmers expanded beyond wheat into feed grains (such as corn and oats),
raising livestock, and dairy farming.
Demand for agricultural products remained strong through the first World War, benefitting
Cottage Grove farmers. However, increased agricultural production during this time period led to a
decrease in farmland value in the 1920s. This was followed by the Great Depression of the 1930s,
which brought economic challenges for farmers. According to Vogel, the result of this period of
economic strain was that farming "became less of a way of life and more a highly competitive
business, with fewer farmers producing more goods."' In the years following World War II, the
number of Washington County farms decreased, and the average farm size became larger.
Agriculture continued as Cottage Grove's primary economic driver until into the 1950s, when the
community began to develop into a residential suburb. Between 1958 and 1960 alone, 1,200 houses
were constructed in the township. Cottage Grove grew rapidly, with 800 residents in 1950, 5,000
residents in 1960, 14,300 residents in 1970, and a population of 25,000 in 1995. The Village of
Cottage Grove was incorporated in 1965; it became a city in 1974.' Though the city has evolved
substantially from its nineteenth century origins, it still retains a considerable amount of land within
its borders that is zoned for agricultural and rural residential uses.9
' Robert Vogel, A History of Washington County: Gateway to Minnesota History (Stillwater, MN: Washington
County Historical Society, 2008), 231— 232; Andrew J. Schmidt, Daniel Pratt, Andrea Vermeer, and Betsy Bradley,
Railroads in Minnesota, 1862-1956, Multiple Property Documentation Form, 2013, Section E, page 51; Neill, A
History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, 336, 372; Vogel, Cottage Grove History, 3 — 6.
6 Vogel, The New England of the West, 12 - 13; Carole Zellie, Washington County Historic Contexts (prepared for
Washington County Land Management, 1999), 165; Vogel, "Historic Houses of Cottage Grove," 3.
' Vogel, The New England of the West, 24; Zellie, Washington County Historic Contexts, 167.
s Vogel, "Historic Houses of Cottage Grove," 5; Robert Vogel, Cottage Grove History, 5; Willard E. Rosenfelt,
Washington: A History of the Minnesota County (Stillwater, MN: Croixside Press, 1977), 244; MetroCouncil,
"Cottage Grove: Suburban Edge Where Urban Meets Farmland and Open Space," July 17, 2017,
https:Hmetrocouncil.org/News-Events/Communities/Newsletters/Cottage-Grove-Suburban-edge-where-urban-
meets-far.aspx.
9 City of Cottage Grove, "Cottage Grove 2016 Zoning Map," June 13, 2016,
https://listingsprod.bIob.core.windows.net/ourlistings-usa/fc2443b4-28bc-40f6-9d 13-a4f09a816bcc/b8b4f092-
f528-40e2-985b-cb 191fc16a0a.
0
10301 Grey Cloud Trail
This broader history of Cottage
Grove is reflected in the history of 10301
Grey Cloud Trail. Today, the property
addressed at 10301 Grey Cloud Trail
includes a house and barn on 2.75 acres of
land in the northeast quarter of Section 30
of Township 27. For most of its history,
however, the property has comprised a
small portion of much larger parcels of farm
land.10
The earliest recorded owner of the
northeast quarter of Section 30 was
Alexander Fell, a private in the Sixth
Regiment of the United States Infantry. Fell
received 160 acres of land — the northeast
and northwest quarters of Section 30 and
the southeast and southwest quarters of
Section 19 (see Figure 2) — under the Scrip
Warrant Act of 1850, which provided free
land to United States military veterans. As
was common practice for recipients of these
/ram
Figure 3. 1850 land grant and current parcel boundaries. Red
dashed lines indicate section and quarter boundaries. Background
map courtesy of Washington County.
grants, Fell granted or sold his rights to this
land to Jeremiah Lamb, who filed a claim for the property with the General Land Office in 1854.��
More research is necessary to determine the property's earliest owners with certainty.
However, Washington County property records suggest that the south half of the northeast quarter
of Section 30 was owned by a succession of at least three individuals between 1854 and 1864.12 These
included William B. Dibble, Louis [Lewis] Dibble, and Peter Pfiefer. According to a history of the
St. Croix River Valley written in 1881, William Burris Dibble was one of the early Euro-American
settlers of Washington County. Born in New York in 1815, Dibble moved to Marine Mills (11 miles
north of current day Stillwater) by 1838. Around 1845, Dibble moved to Point Douglas in Denmark
Township to the east of Cottage Grove. Dibble's first wife, Eliza, died in 1847, and Dibble remarried
"Washington County Property Information, https://maps.co.washington.mn.us/wcgis/.
11 Military Warrant, accession number MW-0759-034, March 3, 1854, General Land Office,
https://gIorecords.bIm.gov/details/patent/defauIt.aspx?accession=0759-
034&docClass=MW&sid=jg5vpuvb.sfl#patentDetailsTabIndex=1; James W. Oberly, "Military Bounty Land Warrants
in the United States, 1847-1900," February 17, 1992, ICPSR, https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR09514.vl
"The completion of a chain of title for the property was beyond the scope of this research. More research is
necessary to confirm early ownership of the property. See tract pages for the northeast quarter of Section 30,
Township 27, Range 21, on file at the Washington County Property Records and Taxpayer Services, Stillwater, MN.
6
Mary Ann Wright in 1853. Dibble appears to have continued to farm in Point Douglas until his
death in 1883. It is unclear why Dibble acquired land in Cottage Grove Township. Given his brief
ownership of the property, the land may have been a speculative investment.' The next owner of
the property, Louis (or Lewis) Dibble, is listed in the 1857 Minnesota Territorial Census as a resident
of Point Douglas. By 1860, Louis was living in Cottage Grove and considered farming his primary
occupation. As Louis was also from New York, he may have been related to William. At the time of
the 1860 census, Louis and his wife Hannah had five children.' Little is known about Peter Pfiefer;
research did not reveal any definitive information about this individual.
The next owner of the property, William Cowan, appears to have acquired the land from
Peter Pfiefer in 1873. By 1886, a plat map of Cottage Grove indicates that Cowan owned 247 acres
in Section 30, including the 2.75 acres that now comprise the 10301 Grey Cloud Trail property.
Cowan is listed as a resident of Cottage Grove in both the 1875 and 1885 Minnesota Territorial
Censuses. Cowan, who was 56 years old at the time of the 1875 census, was a native of Scotland. His
wife Harriet (45 years old in 1875) was born in Canada, while two younger household members —
Hannah (18) and Harriet (14) — were also born in Scotland. By 1885, three individuals named John
(28), Anna (26), and Harriet (23) were residing with William and Harriet.'
The 1886 plat map of Cottage Grove shows a structure on Cowan's property in the location
of the current house, just to the east of the road that is now Grey Cloud Trail and west of the tracks
of the CB & Q Railroad (see Figure 4). Possibly, this structure is the existing two -and -one -half -
story, gable -roofed, limestone house. No historic photographs of the property have been uncovered.
Based on its existing appearance, the house was not designed as high -style architecture. Rather, like
most of the pre-1940 houses in Cottage Grove, it is best classified as "folk" or "vernacular"
11 Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1875, Washington County, Denmark Township, family 117,
accessed via Ancestry.com; United States Bureau of the Census, Tenth Census of the United States, Minnesota,
Washington County, Denmark Township, dwelling no. 213; "William B. Dibble," Minnesota, U.S., Marriages Index,
1849-1950, ancestry.com; "William Burris Dibble," Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current, Ancestry.com; "Marine
Mills," Minnesota Historical Society, accessed November 18, 2021, https://www.mnhs.org/media/kits/marinemill;
Neill, A History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley, 193, 260, 326, 354 — 361, 477.
14 Vogel, The New England of the West, 54; United States Bureau of the Census, Eighth Census of the United States,
1860, Washington County, Cottage Grove, dwelling no. 1376, Ancestry.com; Minnesota Territorial Census, 1857,
Washington County, Cottage Grove, dwelling no. 634, Ancestry.com.
11 Tract pages for northeast quarter of Section 30, Township 27, Range 21, on file at the Washington County
Property Records and Taxpayer Services Department, Stillwater, Minnesota; Minnesota State Population Census
Schedules,1865-1905, 1875, Washington County, Cottage Grove, family no. 124, Ancestry.com; Minnesota State
Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905, 1885, Minnesota, Washington County, Cottage Grove, family no. 91,
Ancestry.com; Warner and Foote, Map of Ramsey and Washington Counties: with Adjacent Portions of Anoka,
Dakota & Hennepin counties, Minnesota, and Parts of St. Croix & Pierce Counties, Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN:
Warner and Foote, 1886), Sheet 7.
11
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80
Lis"
e.7r% f
,r
Z C7n_• Cowans,
47
Al F
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Figure 4. 1886 plat map of the Cottage Grove area showing Section 30. Map
courtesy of the University of Minnesota's UMedio.
architecture. The house's limestone
walls are now covered with stucco
(installed in the 1960s or 1970s) but
were originally exposed. This
limestone may have been obtained
from one of several local limestone
quarries historically present within
Cottage Grove. Vogel notes that the
house at 10301 Grey Cloud Trail is
one of only a few buildings in Cottage
Grove constructed completely of this
material and the only one of the city's
140 houses built before 1940 that is
not constructed of wood.16 Though
not an example of high -style
architecture, the building's front
gabled form reflects a common
subtype of the Greek Revival style,
which was popular in the United
States from about 1825 until about
1860. According to a description of
the house in a 1990 architectural -history survey, it formerly had a front entry portico, another
feature of Greek Revival houses.' Like the house, the existing barn cannot be dated with certainty.
However, a 1990 study of barns in Cottage Grove found that the oldest are generally simple gable -
roofed structures like this one, suggesting that the barn was likely constructed in the nineteenth
century."
By 1901, William Cowan had sold much of his land, retaining only 19.25 acres to the west of
modern-day Grey Cloud Trail. The new owner of most of Cowan's former land (200.95 acres) was
"Vogel, Preliminary Inventory of Pre-1940 Houses, 181; Robert Vogel, "Minnesota Historic Properties Inventory
Form," WA-CGC-034, Okey House, 1984, on file at the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul,
Minnesota; Vogel, The New England of the West, 53.
17 Vogel, Preliminary Inventory of Pre-1940 Houses, 180, 183; Virginia McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses,
rev. ed (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014), 134 — 136.
18 Larry Klueh, "Barns in the City: Agrarian Landmarks in Cottage Grove," Perspectives in Cottage Grove History, No.
4 (August 1989), 6; Vogel, Preliminary Inventory of Pre-1940 Houses, 11— 12.
7
listed as the Security Trust Company (see Figure 5).19 Little
U '
z
is known about this firm. Preliminary newspaper research,
o a
37.5
suggests that it was based in St. Paul and specialized in
00
backing mortgages and bonds.2015
The next available plat map of Cottage Grove,��
dated 1912, shows Dorothea Fritz as the owner of these
200.95 acres (see Figure 6). Fritz, who immigrated from
_
�[, 11 11f V Tru'dzo
Germany in 1888, was married to Minnesota native
`5 ?
,% 100 9.5
Herbert Casper Fritz. According to the 1910 federal census,
farming was Herbert's primary occupation. Though the
r H.
les
1912 plat map does not show the location of residential
structures, census information indicates that the Fritz family
Figure 5.1901 plat map of Cottage Grove
owned a mortgaged farm, indicating that there were still
showing section 30. Map courtesy of Minnesota
Digital Library.
buildings on the Fritz property at this date. At the time of
the 1910 census, the family had a three -year -old daughter
Dorothea, a two -year -old son Anthony, and an infant
named Herbert. A hired laborer, Lanis Perow, also lived
with the family. Another daughter, Clara, was born to the
couple in 1912.21
The elder Dorothea died in 1916, and her property
was distributed to her children and husband. By 1926,
76.95 acres surrounding the 10301 Grey Cloud Trail
property were owned by "Dorothea Fritz et. al.,"
presumably, the younger Dorothea and her siblings (see
Figure 7).22
Figure 6. 1912 plat map of Cottage Grove
showing Section 30. Map courtesy of Minnesota
Digital Library.
19 Northwest Publishing Company, Plat Book of Washington County, Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN: Northwest
Publishing Company, 1901), Sheet 41.
21 See for example "Notice of Mortgage Sale," St. Paul Globe, January 18, 1885, p. 7; "Money Has Been Paid for
Bonds," Bemidji Daily Pioneer, June 24, 1909, p. 1.
21 The Farmer, The Farmer's Atlas and Directory of Washington County, Minnesota (St. Paul, MN: Webb Publishing
Company, 1912), Sheet 27; United States Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910,
Minnesota, Washington County, Cottage Grove Township, District 0166, Sheet 713, accessed via Ancestry.com;
United States Bureau of the Census, Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920, Minnesota, Washington County,
Cottage Grove Township, District 0169, Sheet 6A, accessed via Ancestry.com
22 Samuel Larson and George Tibbets, "Inventory and Appraisement in the Matter of the Estate of Dorothea Fritz,"
February 20, 1917, and "Final Decree of Distribution in the Matter of the Estate of Dorothea Fritz," June 18, 1917,
Probate Case File No. 4358-4395, 1916 — 1917, accessed via Ancestry.com; Hudson Map Company, 1926 Plat Map
of Washington County; "Dorothea Fritz," Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current, Ancestry.com.
N.
Figure 7. 1926 plat map of Cottage Grove
showing Section 30. Map courtesy of the
University of Minnesota's John R. Borchert Map
Library.
Figure 8. 1938 plat map of Cottage Grove
showing Section 30. Map courtesy of the Library
of Congress.
By 1938, these 76.95 acres had passed to Otto J.
Radusch (see Figure 8). Otto is not listed in the 1940 census
for Washington County, so little is known about his
background. According to a 1990 historical architecture
survey of the property, the house's one-story addition dates
to 1942, so it is possible that this addition was constructed
by Radusch.2' The next available plat map, dated 1949,
shows Anthony and Mary Kulvich as the owners. By 1956,
the property had passed to Mary O'Boyle (see Figure 10).
Little information could be uncovered about either of these
occupants.'
During the mid -twentieth century, Section 30 did not
experience immediate subdivision and residential
development as did some other areas of Cottage Grove. A
1964 aerial photograph indicates that this portion of
Cottage Grove was still relatively undeveloped at that time
(see Figure 9). By 1969, the five acres surrounding the
Cowan House had been parceled off from the rest of the
surrounding land and were owned by an individual
identified on plat maps only as "E.B." Changes made to the
house in the 1960s or 1970s include the addition of shed -
roofed dormers to the north and south elevations and the
addition of stucco to the exterior. In 1972, 10301 Grey
Cloud Trail was included (apparently for the first time) in
the South and West St. Paul city directory; its owner was
listed as Mary Okey. From 1973 until at least the mid-
1980s, much of the surrounding land around the subject
property was owned by Mary O'Boyle. Some or all of this
land was sold in the early 1990s to develop the existing golf
course.' By 1995, 10301 Grey Cloud consisted of the 2.75-
23 Vogel, The New England of the West 53.
24 Hudson Map Company, Plat Book of Washington County, Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN: Hudson Map Company,
1938), 19; Atlas Company, Plat Book of Washington County, Minnesota (St. Paul, MN: Atlas Map Company, c.
1949); Thomas Nelson Company, Atlas of Washington County, Minnesota, 1956, "Cottage Grove,"
https://www.co.washington.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/1912/1956_platbook.
21 Vogel, Preliminary Inventory of Pre-1940 Houses, 92; "Village of Cottage Grove," map, Rockford Map Publishers,
1969, on file at the John R. Borchert Map Library; "Village of Cottage Grove," map, Rockford Map Publishers, 1973,
on file at the John R. Borchert Map Library; "Village of Cottage Grove," map, Rockford Map Publishers, 1976, on file
at the John R. Borchert Map Library; "East Part of Village of Cottage Grove," map, Rockford Map Publishers, 1982,
on file at the John R. Borchert Map Library; "East Part of Village of Cottage Grove," map, Rockford Map Publishers,
acre parcel that it is today. Following Mary Okey's death in c. 1995, the property was owned by the
Thompson family and then Doebler Real Estate before it was purchased in 2019 by the adjacent golf
course.26
Figure 9. 1964 aerial photograph of the
southwest corner of Cottage Grove. Photograph
courtesy of the University of Minnesota's John R.
Borchert Map Library.
Figure 10. 1956 plat map of Cottage Grove
showing Section 30. Map courtesy of the
University of Minnesota's John R. Borchert Map
Library.
1986, on file at the John R. Borchert Map Library; personal communication, Mike Mrosla, November 12, 2021; R. L.
Polk & Co., Polk's South St. Paul and West St. Paul City Directory (St. Paul, MN: R. L. Polk & Co., 1972), 177.
"Quit Claim Deed, November 15, 2019, Document No. 4218540, on file at Washington County Property Records
and Taxpayer Services; Limited Warranty, April 20, 2005, Document No. 3517977, on file at Washington County
Property Records and Taxpayer Services; Quit Claim Deed, August 9, 1999, Document No. 3063839, on file at
Washington County Property Records and Taxpayer Services; Personal Representative Deed, June 28, 1995,
Document No. 849102, on file at Washington County Property Records and Taxpayer Services.
10
CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE LOCAL DESIGNATION
PAST DETERMINATIONS OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
10301 Grey Cloud Trail is not currently locally designated by the City of Cottage Grove,
nor is it listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
In 1990, a history -architectural survey noted that the property "could probably be nominated
to the City Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks solely on the basis of its architectural
significance." However, the survey also recommended additional research "to firmly establish its
historical associations."27
DESIGNATION CRITERIA
The City of Cottage Grove defines historic resources as properties that meet any one of five
criteria as outlined in Chapter 9 of the City Code of Cottage Grove, Minnesota. The criteria that
must be considered when determining the historic significance of a property include:
1. Its character, interest, or value as part of the history or cultural heritage of the city, the state
or the United States;
2. Its association with persons or events that have made a significant contribution to the cultural
heritage of the city;
3. Its potential to yield information important in history or prehistory;
4. Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of architectural type or style, or elements of
design, detail materials or craftsmanship; and
5. Its unique location or singular physical appearance representing an established or familiar
visual feature of a neighborhood or community of the City.
Our research on the history of the property suggests that the property may be historically
significant under Criterion 1 for its association with Cottage Grove's history as an agricultural
community and under Criterion 4 as a unique local example of limestone construction. Our
research did not uncover any associations with significant persons or events (Criterion 2) or suggest
that the property represents an established and familiar feature of its neighborhood (Criterion 5). No
information was uncovered to suggest that the property was formerly used as a hotel. It is unknown
if the property meets Criterion 3 as it has not been evaluated for archaeological significance.
27 Vogel, New England of the West 53 — 54.
11
INTEGRITY
In order to be locally designated, a property must not only meet criteria for historic
significance but also retain integrity. In other words, it must retain enough of its physical features
and materials to convey its historic significance. As Chapter 9 of the City Code of Cottage Grove
does not provide criteria for evaluating integrity, we have considered the integrity of the subject
property using the National Park Service (NPS) definition of integrity. According to the National
Register Bulletin How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation,28 a property's integrity is
recognized through seven aspects or qualities:
1) Location
2) Setting
3) Design
4) Workmanship
5) Materials
6) Feeling
7) Association
Research and on -site investigation suggest that the property has experienced some significant
alterations since its original construction. There have been some changes to the property's setting,
most noticeably the development of the golf course to the southeast. Alterations to the house's
original materials, design, and workmanship include a one-story addition added around 1942, roof
dormers added in the 1960s, stucco cladding applied to the exterior in the mid-1960s or early 1970s,
and roofing replaced with asphalt shingles at an unknown date. Additionally, it is likely the house
originally had an entrance portico later replaced by a porch, which has since been removed. Though
in poor condition, the associated barn appears to retain much of its original materials, design, and
workmanship.
The property appears to meet local Criterion 1 and Criterion 4 for historic significance.
However, alternations to the property have impacted integrity. It may no longer be eligible for local
designation due to the loss of integrity.
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES (NRHP) DESIGNATION
NRHP listing and local designation are two separate processes and designations. NRHP
listing is overseen by the NPS and must meet NPS requirements for historical significance and
integrity. The NPS Criteria for Evaluation define historically significant properties as properties:
A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad
patterns of our history; or
28 National Park Service, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, rev. ed. (Washington, D.C.:
1995), 44, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB-15_web5O8.pdf.
12
B. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or
that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a
significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
D. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.29
Significant changes to the house since its construction might pose a challenge to listing the
property on the NRHP. Additionally, more information is needed to determine if the property has
historical significance under NPS Criteria for Evaluation. This includes:
• Additional research to compile a complete list of all building owners and occupants
• Comparison against similar properties in Cottage Grove to determine if this property is
unique and therefore more likely to be significant
• Determination of a period of significance for the property (the time period during which the
property obtained historical significance)
Additional research is needed to determine if the property has historical significance as
defined by the NPS Criteria for Evaluation. Alterations to the property have impacted integrity, and
it may not be eligible for the NRHP due to a loss of integrity.
29 National Park Service, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, rev. ed. (Washington, D.C.:
1995), 2, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB-15_web5O8.pdf.
13
SOURCES CONSULTED
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1949.
Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current. Ancestry.com.
Fisher, Duane D. "The Development of Cottage Grove, The First Rural Settlement in Minnesota."
Term paper, Macalaster College, 1954. On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul,
Minnesota.
Hudson Map Company. 1926 Plat Map of Washington County. On file at the _John R. Borchert
Map Library, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Hudson Map Company. Plat Book of Washington County, Minnesota. Minneapolis, MN: Hudson Map
Company, 1938. https://www.loc.gov/item/2007633510/.
.Jones, George W. "Township No. 27N, Range No. 21 West 7th Mer." March 15, 1848. United States
Bureau of Land Management. General Land Office Historic Plat Map Retrieval System,
https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/glo/index.html.
Klueh, Larry. "Barns in the City: Agrarian Landmarks in Cottage Grove." Perspectives in Cottage
Grove History, No. 4. August 1989.
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Military Warrant, accession number MW-0759-034, March 3, 1854, General Land Office,
https:Hglorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=0759-
034&docClass=MW&sid jg5vpuvb.sfl#patentDetailsTabindex=l.
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Minnesota Territorial Census, 1857. Accessed via Ancestry.com.
Neill, Edward D. A History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley: Including the Explorers and
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https:Hcollection.mndigital.org/catalog/spl:2062#/image/0.
Oberly,.James W. "Military Bounty Land Warrants in the United States, 1847-1900." February 17,
1992, ICPSR, https:Hdoi.org/10.3886/ICPSR09514.vl.
Probate Case File No. 4358-4395. 1916 — 1917. Accessed via Ancestry.com.
14
R. L. Polk & Co. Polk's South St. Paul and West St. Paul City Directory. St. Paul, MN: R. L. Polk &
Co., 1972.
Rockford Map Publishers. "Village of Cottage Grove." 1969. On file at the John R. Borchert Map
Library, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
---. "Village of Cottage Grove." "Village of Cottage Grove." 1973. On file at the John R. Borchert
Map Library, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
---. "Village of Cottage Grove." 1976. On file at the John R. Borchert Map Library, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis.
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University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
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University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
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1977.
Schmidt, Andrew J., Daniel Pratt, Andrea Vermeer, and Betsy Bradley. Railroads in Minnesota, 1862
— 1956 Multiple Property Documentation Form, 2013.
United States Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Accessed via
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The Farmer. The Farmer's Atlas and Directory of Washington County, Minnesota. St. Paul, MN: Webb
Publishing Company, 1912.
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Thomas Nelson Company. Atlas of Washington County, Minnesota. 1956.
https://www.co.washington.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/1912/1956—platbook.
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Cottage Grove History: A Palimpset. Prepared for the Advisory Committee on Historic
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15
"Historic Houses of Cottage Grove: A Field Guide." Perspectives in Cottage Grove History, no. 1
(February 1986). On file at the Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota.
"Minnesota Historic Properties Inventory Form." WA-CGC-034. 1984. On file at the
Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, St. Paul, Minnesota
---. Preliminary Inventory of Pre-1940 Houses in the City of Cottage Grove. Prepared for the City of
Cottage Grove Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission and the Advisory
Committee on Historic Preservation, September 1988. On file at the Park Grove Library,
Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
The New England of the West: A Survey of Historic Properties Associated with Early American
Settlement in Cottage Grove. Prepared for the City of Cottage Grove, September 1990. On file
at the Park Grove Library, Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
Warner and Foote. Map of Ramsey and Washington Counties: with Adjacent Portions of Anoka, Dakota
& Hennepin counties, Minnesota, and Parts of St. Croix & Pierce Counties, Minnesota.
Minneapolis, MN: Warner and Foote, 1886.
https:Hcollection.mndigital.org/catalog/spl:2062.
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Zellie, Carole. Washington County Historic Contexts. Prepared for Washington County Land
Management, 1999. On file at the Park Grove Library, Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
16
APPENDIX A: CURRENT PHOTOS
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