Minnesota Architecture-History Inventory Form

Transcription

1 Property Name: Brick Schoolhouse Field Number: BC17 Inventory Number: WA-AFC-011 Address: th St S PID No.: County: Washington Legal Description: Township: 28N Range: 20W Section: 22 Quarter Section: NE ¼ USGS Quad: 7.5 Minute UTM Zone: 15 Easting: Northing: Architect/Engineer/Builder: unknown Style: Greek Revival schoolhouse Date Constructed: 1876 Noteworthy features/comments: Greek Revival, brick schoolhouse. Now a private residence. There is also a detached two-car garage south of the house. Integrity: fair Historic Context: Listed on the NRHP: No Date Listed: Eligible for the NRHP: Yes More Information Needed: No

2 Description: This is a Greek Revival style structure with a simple dentil detailing along the roofline and simple cornices above all the visible windows and doors. The exterior is built of yellow brick with a stone foundation. The roof is a single gable. A new window has been added to the upper floor and the original tower has been removed. The schoolhouse was built in 1876 and was in use as a schoolhouse until According to the Washington County Recorder s Office, this building was remodeled in It is currently being used as a private residence (Afton Historical Museum). The history of schools in Afton begins with a small school organized at Joseph Haskell s home in 1855, with a schoolhouse built the following year. At this same time, J. W. Boxell also organized a private school emphasizing horticulture. After the township officials were elected in 1859, annual town meetings were held in this school until 1867 (Bolles-Grant 1963). Since all other schools in the area only allowed children to learn up through eighth grade, the St. Croix Valley Academy was built as one of the state s first high schools in 1868, operating until 1884 (see WA-AFC-085 for more details) (Robb 1996). Constructed and opened in 1876, this brick schoolhouse was the next to open in Afton at the cost of $600 dollars. Eventually enrollment increased to over eighty students, with many of them from the Swede Hill area. Trustees leased a former grocery store building north of the Cushing Hotel as a separate school strictly for primary students. The teacher was Miss May Person (Robb 1996). Several other small schools opened after the brick schoolhouse most of them in church rooms or private kitchens. In 1950, all of these little Afton schools were combined into one district: District 22. Grace Alpine, Washington County s superintendent at the time, helped carry any of the schools that were too far or too small to be added, and ensured the smooth transition into the new system. It was a difficult change for parents who once attended those small schools to see their children learning elsewhere (Robb 1996). A new Lakeland school opened in January of By 1957, District 22 merged with Stillwater s new District 834. This set the stage for the schooling arrangement seen today with the combination of Withrow, Marine, Afton-Lakeland, Lake Elmo, Bayport and Stillwater schools (Robb 1996). Afton s History The first European people in the St. Croix Valley were French Canadian fur traders and trappers. The city of Afton was first settled in 1837 by French Canadian voyageur Gaspare Bruce (WCHS 2015). Two years later New Englanders Joseph Haskell and James Norris settled here, and became Afton s first farmers. In 1841 French Canadian Alexander McHattie settled 120 acres of land where the current Historic Village of Afton stands (WCHS 2015). Andrew Mackey and Lemuel Bolles made claims soon after. Other settlers

3 that arrived between 1847 and 1850 included James Getchell, Francis Oldham, W.H. Guernsey and F.M. Cox. During this time the settlement grew rapidly (Collins et al 1977). The town was platted in At that time Afton contained B.P. Squire s general store, and a warehouse and elevator owned by J.P. Furber. The township was officially organized in 1859, and assembled a board of town officials (Bolles-Grant 1963). By this point the French and New Englanders made up the majority of the settlers. In the 1860s and 1870s many German migrants moved either straight from Germany, or as second or third generation Americans from New York. Swedish immigrants also moved in directly from Sweden, and their initial inability to speak English caused some tensions between the Swedes and the rest of the settlers (Hayes 1975). Early business and industry consisted mainly of milling, general stores, and blacksmith s shops. The first mill in the area was erected by Lemuel Bolles in Several mills were built since, but milling in Afton began to decline in the late 19 th century. Since Afton was a reasonable distance from supplier cities the general stores and blacksmith shops provided crucial services and boat-delivered goods for the riverside farming community, such as farm equipment and wagons (Robb 1996). Afton s first hotel, The Afton House Inn, was built by S.H. Patterson in After it was destroyed by a fire in 1859 Charles Cushing built a second hotel in its place, The Cushing Hotel (WA-AFC-005), in 1867 (WHMC). This hotel is still in use today. A railroad was laid through Afton and functioned between the 1880s and 1930s. The track was heavily used, but as industries began to leave the valley communities the train did too. The depots and storage sheds were torn down, along with the majority of the tracks (Hayes 1975). Today Afton serves as a lovely riverside retreat and home for its citizens. This trend began in the early 20 th century. People began to build summer homes along the river to take advantage of the serenity and recreational boating opportunities it provided. By the 1940s many of these summer dwellers winterized their cottages, began to live there year round, and commuted to their jobs in the city. By this time Afton s sense of industry had long since quieted, and today the area serves more as a quiet riverside getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life (Hayes 1975). Statewide contexts have been developed by the Minnesota SHPO, which examines Minnesota s recent Prehistoric through Historic past. These contexts are based on archaeological and historic research. They describe the history of the state and assist in predicting where specific types of sites may occur. The City of Afton fits within the historic context of Early Agriculture and River Settlement ( ). In 1840 the first farm in Afton was developed, marking the beginning of this context in Minnesota (MNSHPO). However, Afton s greatest period of significance extends to Between 1840 and 1900 Afton was settled, farmed, platted, expanded, and became home to various industries, schools, and religious centers. Afton experienced its most significant development and changes during this time, and by the turn of the century the village had mostly come into its

4 own. Population growth after this point followed the trend of growth in the region as a whole, and Afton s sense of pioneering and new industry settled more into a desire to maintain the comfort that they had built for themselves. Significance: Although the structure no longer has the bell tower that is seen in historic images, it still retains its integrity for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The seven aspects of integrity, as described in the National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation include: 1) Location, the place the historic property was built or the historic event took place. 2) Design, the elements that demonstrate the structure, form, plan, space, and style of a historic property. 3) Setting, the physical space surrounding the historic property. 4) Materials, the physical elements that make up the structure of a historic property. 5) Workmanship, the craft that was used to construct the historic property or that represent a particular period or culture. 6) Feeling, the property s representation of a particular period of time or aesthetic. 7) Association, the property s direct link to a period of time or a historic person. The Brick Schoolhouse retains most of these seven aspects of integrity, including location, setting, materials, workmanship, and association. Its design has been slightly altered by the removal of the bell tower and it is now in use as a private residence, but it is still recognizable as the historic schoolhouse it once was. This structure is recommended eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its significant role in the early development of the school system, District 22, in the City of Afton. Afton Historical Museum n.d. Various exhibits and archived material. Accessed October 22, Bolles-Grant, Evelyn 1963 History of Valley Creek and Surrounding Afton Township. Minnesota Historical Society collections: Valley Creek and Surrounding Afton Township; F612.W49A3.G7 Collins, Sue; Anna Engquist, Betty Roney; Gail Seifert; Louise Johnson; Maynard Johnson, and Willard Rosenfelt 1977 Washington: A History of the Minnesota County. The Croixside Press: Stillwater. Hayes, Elma R Afton-Lakeland: 200 Years of Change. Elma R. Hayes: Hudson.

5 Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (MN SHPO) 1990 Historic Context: Early Agriculture and River Settlement ( ). MN SHPO: St. Paul. Robb, Edwin G Afton Remembered. Afton Historical Society Press: Afton. Washington County Historical Society (WCHS) 2015 Washington County History Guide: Afton History, Part of Washington County Communities. Website Accessed 26 October Form Prepared By: Laura Koski and Kelly Wolf Survey date: Company: Blondo Consulting, LLC

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7 Photo 1: Front façade of Brick Schoolhouse, facing northeast. Photo 2: Sign on front of Brick Schoolhouse, facing north.

8 Photo 3: Front of garage several meters east of Brick Schoolhouse, facing north. Photo 4: Historic photo of Brick Schoolhouse provided by the Afton Historical Museum. No Date.

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