Cathy Wurzer and Dominic Papatola discussed historic preservation during this morning’s broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio. Papatola spoke about Minnesota sites that have been named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. No Minnesota sites are on the list this year, but the National Trust and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota have been actively working on issues related to the Fort Snelling Upper Post, which was on the national list in 2006. You’ll have to travel to South Dakota to visit the closest of this year’s 11 Most listings, the Human Services Center campus in Yankton.

Papatola announced that this year’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list will be unveiled in May, but he had the wrong information about the date. The listings will be announced on Thursday, May 7 at Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis. Regional press events will also be held in greater Minnesota: May 12 in St. Cloud and May 21 in Bemidji.

This year the City of Kasson and Kasson Alliance for Restoration have commissioned a building reuse study to determine possible new uses for the historic Kasson Elementary School building and site. The reuse team led by John Lauber & Co of Minneapolis has created a website to document and publish the study process and engage interested citizens and stakeholders.

Good news from Duluth! Preservation prevailed before the Duluth City Council last night when the council decided, on a 6-3 vote, not to overturn the Duluth Heritage Preservation Commission’s denial of a permit to demolish the St. Louis County Jail. In January, the St. Louis County administration applied for a demolition permit for the historic jail, which was listed as one of the Alliance’s 10 Most Endangered sites in 2004 and again in 2008. The jail is part of the Civic Center Historic District, a Daniel Burnham-designed example of the City Beautiful movement, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and a designated Duluth Heritage Preservation District. The HPC denied the permit application on March 24 and the county appealed to the City Council, as is allowed in the Duluth Heritage Preservation Ordinance. Thankfully that ordinance also has a provision that allows the City Council to overrule the HPC’s decision “only if the project is found to be consistent with the U.S. secretary of interior’s recommended standards for preservation projects.”

After passionate but well-reasoned testimony by numerous supporters—I counted at least 20 people who spoke in favor of preserving the jail—a couple City Council members admitted that they had changed their minds. Following an hour-plus-long meeting of the whole, this one item on the public hearing agenda was discussed for over two hours. Speakers included members of the Duluth Preservation Alliance, Royce Yeater, who is director of the Midwest Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Abbott Apter, who sits on the board of the Minnesota Historical Society, and an architect, structural engineer, and preservation specialist from Collaborative Design Group. And, of course, yours truly as the Partners in the Field field representative for the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. (I apologize if I lost some of you there, but that’s my official title and I’ve never been more proud to say it.)

While those of us who advocated for preservation of the jail are reveling in our success today, we know that there is a great deal of work ahead of us. We at the Alliance are eager to work with the county administration and preservation supporters in Duluth to form a task force that can lead the jail forward into the future. I think we all feel like we need to take a breather for a couple of days, but the same time, we’re eager to get started. Stay tuned for periodic updates, and send us your reuse ideas at PAMfieldnotes@gmail.com

Obviously the vote wasn’t unanimous and there’s plenty of nay-saying going around. (If you like reading the counter argument—and can do so without danger of raising your blood pressure—read the News Tribune BUZZ blog (especially the comments) and form your own opinion.) Although we’re energized and confident at this point, we might be fighting an uphill battle, which in Duluth is not hard to do thanks to the topography and the political climate. One thing is certain, though—while all the costs are speculation at this point, the consequences of demolition would be absolute.

A special thanks goes out to those of you who responded to action alerts issued by the Duluth Preservation Alliance (and forwarded by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota) by contacting the Duluth City Council or writing to the News Tribune. The word “alliance” has never been more apt—again, thank you for your support!

I was in Cloquet on Friday to give a presentation at one of the 2009 Local History Workshops about the Legacy Amendment funding. We are hopeful that this voter-approved funding stream will provide much-needed assistance to historic preservation and history projects throughout the state, but it is vital that we let our legislators know that History Matters! Click here to learn more and here to do your part.

My day in Cloquet ended with a tour of the world’s only gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Lindholm Service Station was designed by FLW in the 1930s as part of his Broadacre City plan but not realized until 1958, when this station was built. Cloquet recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of this landmark (and Wright’s 1952 Lindholm House, which is not open to the public). The service station was spiffed up by its current owners last summer in preparation for a weekend symposium presented by the Carlton County Historical Society and other festivities. Preservation work included new paint, repairing the sagging ceiling in the elevated lounge, and removing decades of graffiti to the cypress woodwork in the restrooms. Check out my pictures, view historic photos here, read more about the service station online, and visit Cloquet to see for yourself!

The Lindholm Service Station in Cloquet.

The upper-level lounge and observation deck overlooks the gas pumps and three modes of transportation–the river, the railroad tracks, and the highway.

Stairs on the west side of the building lead to the lounge and restrooms. To the right of the stairs is a built-in planter, one of many that Wright located throughout the building to hold ferns. Alas, the ferns don’t withstand the harsh seasons of northern Minnesota and the exterior planters have been covered. Notice the National Register plaque—the building was listed in 1984.

The interior of the lounge/observation area .

Cypress woodwork in the lounge and restrooms was cleaned of graffiti during the recent rehabilitation. Anne Dugan, director of the Carlton County Historical Society, led our tour.

There are four service bays. (A single tune-up bay is on the west side of the building.) The station was considered enormous in its day. I get a kick out of the air hose coming out of the center pier. Not sure if that’s what FLW had in mind.

Wright and his associates designed the entire building–interior fixtures and all.

Frank Lloyd Wright wasn’t quite this arrogant–the sign used to say Phillips 66 until Phillips pulled out of northern MN and took their copyright with them.

Things are looking up for the Buch House in Shakopee, one of the Alliance’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2008. The house, which is owned by the county and must be moved from its site to accommodate the eventual construction of a parking ramp, was profiled on Fox 9 News on Monday. City planner Mark Noble and I have been working with Stephanie Angen, an interior designer who saw Mark’s hand-lettered sign and took a shine to the house, to investigate relocation and rehab options. Stay tuned (we hope).

The sign says it all.

Whenever I’m in Shakopee visiting the Buch House, I can’t resist a visit to the Eagle Creek Quilt Shop, housed in Shakopee’s historic brick railroad depot. I’m not much of a quilter, but I love the fabrics and this charming building is the perfect fit for this kind of business. The owners did a wonderful job in reusing the space but maintaining its original character.

The Eagle Creek Quilt Shop is housed in the historic Shakopee depot.

Yesterday I met with Mark and Stephanie at a neighboring depot in Savage, just to save a few miles worth of gas. This depot has recently been reborn as a bistro. The renovation isn’t as true as some preservationists would like (the building was moved back to this site by the Dan Patch Historical Society after being relocated to Murphy’s Landing for several decades) but it is worth visiting for its original, wide-plank floors and huge rolling freight doors in the dining area. The counter-service area and rest rooms are decorated with artifacts and interpretive info about the famed racehorse Dan Patch.

Savage Depot - now a counter-service restaurant.