Photo Credit: Kate Scott, Black Box Images

The Historic Hewson House at 2008 Pillsbury Ave. S., Minneapolis, a 2010 10 Most Endangered site, will be open to Preservation Alliance members for one day only on Thursday, September 9th. The event is sponsored by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, Whittier Alliance, and Bell Mortgage. The open house will allow neighborhood residents and preservation supporters to see firsthand the pre-restoration condition of this historic house, built in 1905.

The Hewson House was built in 1905, designed by Minneapolis architects Kees and Colburn with interior design by John S. Bradstreet. During the summer of 2009, the house became the victim of foreclosure, and an attempt to remove decorative interior finishes and fixtures was thwarted only at the last minute, when the lender, TCF Bank, intervened. For much of the past year, the house has been vacant and listed for sale. In April, a tile mural valued at $150,000 was stolen from the property. Presently, the house is under interim design review protection while it is being considered for landmark designation by the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission.

The Hewson House requires significant repairs to the roof, mechanical system, plumbing, and exterior envelope. Preliminary estimates for the rehabilitation are in the range of $200,000-300,000, beyond what most homeowners can afford. In an effort to return the house to viability as a single-family residence, Bell Mortgage recently purchased the Hewson House from TCF. Bell will finance the necessary repairs and renovation before presenting the house for sale at cost. The Preservation Alliance and the Whittier Alliance will assist in the effort by advising on preservation priorities, developing a plan of action, and facilitating the renovation work. Rehabilitation is expected to be completed by late spring, 2011.

The Hewson House will be open for self-guided tours from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 9, 2010. Attendance is limited to Whittier residents, businesses, and property owners, and members of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. PAM memberships begin at $40 and may be purchased at the door, or in advance at www.mnpreservation.org/get-involved/join/

About Bell Mortgage

Bell Mortgage, the oldest and largest independent mortgage banking company in Minnesota and one of the largest in the nation, has a long history of intervening on behalf of significant historic properties. Through the efforts of CEO Gary Kirt, Bell Mortgage has supported the Twin Cities Boys and Girls Clubs and Simpson Housing Services. The Bell House, a historic mansion at 2100 Pillsbury Ave. S. on the same block as the Hewson House, was donated to Simpson Housing Services by Gary Kirt and Bell Mortgage for use as the non-profit’s administrative headquarters. Most recently, Bell financed the restoration of the Big Fish, a roadside landmark in Bena, MN that was listed on PAM’s 10 Most Endangered list in 2009.

About the Whittier Alliance

The Whittier Alliance is the officially recognized citizen-participation organization for Minneapolis’s Whittier neighborhood, which is bounded by Franklin Avenue to the north, Interstate 35W to the east, Lyndale Avenue South to the west, and Lake Street to the south. Anchored on one side by the Washburn-Fair Oaks Historic District and on the other by Eat Street, the neighborhood contains a diverse collection of buildings and businesses that create a rich, urban environment only one mile south of downtown. The Whittier Alliance is nearing completion on a historic preservation action plan that includes an updated historic context study and historic preservation design guidelines.

But, oh, how time changed perceptions! The Metropolitan’s ornate Richardsonian Romanesque architecture was anathema to the Modernist movement that was just taking shape as the building was completed. Though the Viennese Modernist Adolf Loos probably never saw the Guaranty Loan Building, it was typical of what he had in mind when he entitled a 1909 essay “Ornament and Crime.” In his 1992 book, Lost Twin Cities, Larry Millett reported that, by the late 1950s, an attorney for the Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority called the Metropolitan “a monstrosity in the eyes of most observers.” Attitudes toward the Metropolitan were not just related to architectural style. The building fell into disrepute partly because, by the mid-20th century, its neighborhood had degenerated into the city’s skid row district—an embarrassment that city leaders wanted out of their sight. And so, Modernist theory and the concept of urban renewal worked hand-in-hand to toll the Metropolitan’s death knell. The building was demolished in 1961.

The carved greenish-grey New Hampshire granite that had formed the first three stories of the Metropolitan’s exterior was hauled away and dumped in the back yard of an ornamental stone company in Delano, Minnesota. There it sat—increasingly overgrown and largely forgotten—until this year, when the stone yard was purchased by Combined Aggregate Enterprises LLC (CAE). In May, company executives, e-mailed several people in the local preservation community to say they hoped the ornamental stone could be returned to Minneapolis and re-used in some way that would honor the history of the Metropolitan. They also said they could not afford to donate the stone, but were willing to sell it below market value. Since then, they have stated on several occasions that this offer cannot stand indefinitely. At some point, they will need to sell the stone for commercial purposes. Most likely, that would mean crushing the stone and selling it for road-building.

In response, Jack Byers, manager of preservation and design in the Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development, asked members of the Twin Cities preservation community to form an ad hoc committee. The committee, which has named its cause the Metropolitan Ruins Park Project (MRPP), traveled to Delano and surveyed CAE’s huge pile of Metropolitan Building stone (rough estimate: 15 ft. wide x 10 ft. high x 300 feet long!). MRPP soon settled on an objective of recovering only the stones that formed the Metropolitan’s 2nd Ave. entrance and re-erecting those stones as a free-standing arch on public land, preferably near the building’s original site.

Financial and logistical arrangements are moving forward. The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is serving as the project’s fiscal agent and has agreed to be the near-term owner of the stones. In early July, MRPP member Dean Phillips met with Kestner and Sleypen. They negotiated a price of $100,000 for the stones that formed both of the building’s main entrances. (The building’s two main entrances looked nearly alike, but the hand-hewn pieces are not interchangeable. So, to be sure of getting one entrance, both must be acquired. Sorting will be done later.)

MRPP member Ginny Lackovic, an architect with HGA and a member of the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, has led the effort to identify the individual stones. She estimates that about 80% of the stones needed to reconstruct the entrance have been found. If some pieces are not found, infill pieces can be made to complete the arch.

Of course, the arch will not re-appear in Minneapolis unless the $100,000 can be raised very soon. The MRPP committee is urging all preservation-minded people to consider donating to this cause. The Phillips Family has kicked off the fund-raising effort by donating $25,000. This money will be used to acquire the first loads of stone, which will be stored in a safe place while the project moves forward.

You can help bring the Metropolitan Building—or at least a good chunk of it—back to Minneapolis! We are one-fourth of the way toward the $100,000 needed to purchase the stones that made up the building’s main entrance. If these funds cannot be raised, the stone may be crushed and sold as road-building gravel. To donate, contact the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, 3954 Bryant Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409, 612-822-2656, info@mplsparksfoundation.org

Tickets are available at Fitger’s (600 East Superior Street, Duluth) beginning at 10:00 A.M.  on the day of the tour (cash and checks only) and are still  just $15.00 each.

Because they have sold out in the past, if you would like tickets set aside, please let Dennis Lamkin know via email (dennis.lamkin@usbank.com) and you can pick them up the day of.

What if you could create an entire neighborhood that is self sustaining – within an existing city? A holistic urban infrastructure supporting residential, commercial, hospitality, and cultural uses.

The Unauthorized Design series is taking on Schmidt Brewery and Island Station as the site location to create our own self-sustaining environment. Take this opportunity to exercise your design passions unbounded by client expectations and budget. You control the program for the site so take the kind of design liberties you wish real life would allow.

Unauthorized Design gives the profession an opportunity to influence public debate about what to build. We are not providing free design services but, we are showcasing the talents of architects by being seen in public creating and re-creating solutions for people who generally have little idea how design
happens.

At the end of the day when the public, press and politicians show up, we’ll have a dandy discussion.

Saturday, September 25th
8:30AM to 4:30PM
Schmidt Brewery Ratskeller
West Seventh Street
Saint Paul, MN 55116

For more information

Is there an organization in your region that could use $25,000?  Maybe they’d like to hear about the 2010 This Place Matters Community Challenge!

As you may know, This Place Matters is the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s public awareness campaign that has helped thousands of people, communities, and preservation-minded folks across the country express what places really matter to them.

This summer, we’ve created the This Place Matters Community Challenge to help non-profit preservation organizations harness the power of this campaign, to raise awareness and mobilize people in your area, and to start a conversation about what matters in your community – along with the chance to win a $25,000 cash award!

Participating in the Challenge is easy. All you need to do is:

1.        Fill out our easy online application.*

2.       Select a place that will galvanize folks in your community to get involved.

3.       Post a picture of the place and tell your story in our easy to use PreservationNation template.

4.       Start the conversation and get as many folks involved as possible!

We’ll provide all the tools you’ll need to generate support, including sample emails, Facebook posts and tweets to get out the vote, and sample press releases to help you get local media involved.  We’ll even tell you how to start your own Facebook page if you don’t currently have one.

The non-profit organization that gets the most people to register their support by through their PreservationNation page by September 15, 2010, will win a cash award of $25,000!

PreservationNation pages go live and voting begins on August 15, 2010, so be sure to join the This Place Matters Community Challenge today!

Have questions? Email ThisPlaceMatters@nthp.org.

*Proof of 501c3 non-profit status is required to participate.

This Place Matters is generously supported by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and National Trust Insurance Services, LLC.  National Trust Insurance Services, LLC is the nation’s leading insurance agency specifically designed to offer comprehensive insurance solutions to historic property owners and preservation organizations.  To learn more about how they can help your organization, visit http://www.nationaltrust-insurance.org/

Wednesday, September 29, 2010
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Pence Building
800 Hennepin Avenue

Join us for a tour of the historic Pence Building, a National Register-listed property on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Built in 1909 by auto dealer Harry Pence, this eight-story building housed a variety of services for Buick-brand automobiles. Buicks were assembled on the upper floors, serviced on other floors, and sold in a showroom on the first floor. Since 2008, the Pence Building has been undergoing a historic rehabilitation that includes a variety of new tenants. We’ll have the opportunity to see the new tenant spaces throughout the building and learn more about the historic rehabilitation project. Parking is available at meters on neighboring streets, at pay lots around the building, and in public parking ramps along South Eighth Street. This event is free! Click here for a map.

Join us for hors d’oeuvres, the awards presentation, and a tour of the new Laird Norton Addition at the Winona County History Center, designed by HGA Architects.

Place:        

Winona County History Center
160 Johnson Street, Winona

Date:         

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Time:         

5:30 pm Registration, Hors d’oeuvres, Tours
6:15 pm Program
7:30 pm Dessert, Reception, Tours

Tickets:  $25 per person

Registration:     Call 651.293.9047 or register online by Tuesday, September 14th, 2010.

Celebrate places that matter by nominating unique cities and towns across America that offer cultural and recreational experiences different from the typical vacation destination. From dynamic downtowns and stunning architecture to cultural diversity and commitments to historic preservation, sustainability, and revitalization, the selected destinations boast a richness of character and exude an authentic sense of place.

Since this annual program started in 2000, a number of unique Midwest vacation destinations have been awarded spots on the list.  St. Louis, MO and Cedar Falls, IA both made the 2010 list, and Marquette, MI was awarded the 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destination Fan Favorite!

Applications for the 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations are now available at www.PreservationNation.org/ddd. Spread the word and encourage our sites, partners and friends to nominate a Distinctive Destination. From a feature in Preservation magazine to extensive media coverage to prominent placement on our website and much more, the winning destinations receive tangible benefits from this positive program that highlights the work of their community and promotes heritage tourism. Applications are due by September 10^th and all the information you’ll need can be found on our website.

Contact Joelle Schatz at Dozen@nthp.org or 202.588.6141 with any questions.

Be one of the first to celebrate the upcoming restoration of St. Paul’s historic Union Depot scheduled to reopen for passenger rail service in 2012. Tickets are $50 per person for Alliance members and $60 per person for non-members.

Pricing Structure

Member $50.00 Non-Member $60.00

We are excited to be launching Minnesota Main Street to assist local communities in their commercial district revitalization efforts. This first year, we have a very short application window for communities to apply and be accepted as Designated Minnesota Main Street programs due to funding time constraints.

The following are the Minnesota Main Street Application Materials:

MN MS Application Cover Letter 2010

Associate Member Registration Form 2010

Designated MN Main Street Application 2010 (PDF Format) – Due by 5:00 p.m. on June 21

Designated MN Main Street Application 2010 (Word Format) – Due by 5:00 p.m. on June 21

Designated MN Main Street Selection Criteria 2010

Memorandum of Understanding DRAFT 2010

The difference between “Designated MN Main Street Communities” and “Associate Members”…

Designated Mnnesota Main Street Program
This is a local commercial district revitalization program that uses the Four-Point approach, has broad community support, paid staff, and meets (or will soon be able to meet) other standards.

Associate Member Community of Minnesota Main Street
This may range from a community just learning about Main Street with a group of volunteers to a long-standing downtown development group with years of success under its belt.

We want to ensure that we are helping communities succeed with this model of downtown revitalization. To provide us with the necessary time to make this important selection, we are requesting that the following application be filled out and returned to the office of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota no later than 5 p.m. on June 21, 2010.

Contact Emily at enorthey@mnpreservation.org or 651.293.9047 x 4 with questions about the application process.