Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaples and Mays Addition-Updatedj Final Report on an Architectural Survey of The Staples and May ’s Addition to Stillwater Washington County,Minnesota i ms j|(S;T.* i .!' August 2005 I Prepared by:Carmen Tschofen Robbinsdale,MN 55422 * Staples and May’s Addition 2 Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission Ward AddressMembers Roger Tomten W1 718 S.Fifth Street W1PatteKraske 438 South Broadway Diane Hark W2 150 S.3 rd St.1 W2 502 W.Churchill St.!Brent Peterson 309 S.Fifth StreetJeffJohnsonW1 301 W.Myrtle StreetPhilEastwoodW2 914 S.Greeley StreetHowardLieberman(Chair)W4 i i Planning Commission Chair and City Planner are ex-officio members. The purpose of the Heritage Preservation Commission is to safeguard the heritage of the City by working toward the preservation of historical sites and structures.The Heritage Preservation Commission is organized per City Code Chapter 22.7 and consists of seven voting members to be appointed by the City Council.Members shall serve a term of three (3)years.The Chairman of the Planning commission or his designee and the City Planner of the City shall be ex-officio,non-voting member of the commission.All voting members shall be residents of the City.The HPC meets the 1st Monday of each month. H 3StaplesandMay’s Addition Final Report on a Historic Sites Survey of The Staples and May 's Addition to Stillwater Washington County,Minnesota i Submitted to the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission August ,2005 Prepared by:I Carmen Tschofen 2667 Parkview Boulevard Robbinsdale MN 55422 tschofen @ emaiLcom ! H This activity that is the subject of this report has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service,U.S.Department of the Interior.However,the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the Department of the Interior,nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior. This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties.Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,the U.S.Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color,national origin ,or handicap in its federally assisted programs.If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program,please write to:Office for Equal Opportunity,U.S. Department of the Interior,National Park Service,P.O.Box 37127,Washington,D.C.20013- 7127. I 1 I I | i r ** Staples and May’s Addition 4 | ! 1 i ! 1 I ) ! 1 i -4 ! i } ; i ] l ! i i 5StaplesandMay’s Addition 7 Table of Contents I.ABSTRACT II.INTRODUCTION III.RESEARCH DESIGN IV.SURVEY FINDINGS V.RECOMMENDATIONS VI.STAPLES AND MAY’S ADDITION:CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW A.McKusick,Staples and May B.The Plat and Early Homes C.Residents and their Homes D.Change over Time E.Summary:A modest success VII.BIBLIOGRAPHY 6 7 8 9i 10) 15i 15 17i 24i 28 36i 37 j i i i Staples and May ’s Addition 6 I .Abstract An intensive-level standing structures survey of properties in the Staples and Mays Addition Residential Area in Stillwater,Minnesota,was conducted in 2005 by Carmen Tschofen.The survey was conducted for the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission,Stillwater, Minnesota.The survey area encompassed 40 acres.All standing structures within the survey area,or 122 properties,were documented.It is the consultant’s recommendation that five individual properties receive priority consideration when future,comprehensive criteria are available to define eligibility for local historic designation and /or the National Register of Historic Places.Minnesota Historic Properties Inventory forms and this report were the final products of the survey.Survey documentation is available for public review at the Stillwater City Hall and the Historic Preservation Office,Minnesota Historical Society,St.Paul. ! 7StaplesandMay’s Addition II.Introduction Between December 2004 and June 2005,contract historian Carmen Tschofen conducted an intensive level architectural survey of the Staples and May’s Residential Area,a neighborhood northwest of Stillwater’s downtown. The Staples and May ’s Addition to Stillwater is located in the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 28,township 30 N,range 20W.The neighborhood is defined to the north by West Wilkins Street;to the south by West Maple Street;to the west by North William Street and on the east by North Fourth Street.It is adjacent to the previously surveyed North Hill /Original Town Residential Area (Roberts,1995)and the Carli &Schulenberg Addition Residential Area (Empson,2001). I t The property types in the survey included dwellings,associated garages and carriage houses, outbuildings,objects and structures.The properties were located,photographed ,and their physical descriptions documented ,with building files compiled for each individual site for the City of Stillwater’s Heritage Preservation Commission.A project report was prepared for the City of Stillwater and for the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office.The format of this report is determined by regulations of the Minnesota Historical Society. 1 ! l This effort is part of the ongoing program of the Minnesota Historical Society’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO),which began after passage of the Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.The SHPO administers the National Register of Historic Places program in Minnesota.In the early years of this program,the SHPO concentrated on basic inventories of the 87 counties in Minnesota on a county-by-county basis. Stillwater established a Heritage Preservation Commission in 1973 and ,in conjunction with a federal grant from the Minnesota SHPO,contracted for is first National Register survey of the downtown commercial area in 1988.This study led to the placing of Stillwater’s downtown commercial area on the National Register in 1991. In 1992-3,the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC)received a Certified Local Government (CLG )grant and sponsored a study of historic contexts in the city,conducted by Robert C.Vogel and Associates. The final report,“Stillwater Historic Contexts:A Comprehensive Planning Approachwas completed in July 1993.The Stillwater HPC has divided the city ’s neighborhoods into Historic Preservation Planning Areas (HPPAs)and intends to proceed with systematic surveys of all Stillwater neighborhoods over the next decade.This report summarizes the results of the ninth HPPA to be systemically surveyed. 1 The eight previous surveys were of the North Hill (Original Town ),1995 ;the South Hill (Original Town ),1996;the Greeley Residential Area,1997;the Dutchtown Residential Area , 1998 ;Holcombe’s Additions Residential Area ,1999;Hersey ,Staples &Co.Addition Staples and May’s Addition 8 Residential Area,2000;South Half of Carli &Schulenberg Addition Residential Area,2001 ;and the Churchill,Nelson &Slaughter Addition Residential Area,2003. The Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission has indicated that it will make this survey history available to the residents of the area. III.Research Design The objectives of the survey were to: 1.Locate,map,photograph and document the physical descriptions of the buildings located within the Staples and May’s Addition to Stillwater in the City of Stillwater,Minnesota. 2.Complete inventory sheets and compile informational files for each property. 3.Identify sites potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. 4.Provide a summary report on the survey work following the guidelines of the Minnesota Historical Society and provide recommendations for future historic preservation activities to the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission. Methods used to execute the survey objectives: 1.The consultant reviewed the city’s Historic Contexts document and all previous survey reports. 2.The consultant identified and reviewed primary and secondary sources relevant to the study area and its contexts,including materials from the Minnesota History Center,the Washington County Historical Society ,the St.Croix Collection of the Stillwater Public Library ,the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission and local government offices.These sources, detailed in the report’s bibliography,included but were not limited to: o Washington County tax assessor’s microfilm records,1861-1950. o Washington County online property database o Washington County appraiser’s cards o City of Stillwater building permits,1886-1945 o City of Stillwater building files,Stillwater City Hall o Stillwater city directories o Maps 3.Fieldwork,including black and white photographs and physical descriptions,was conducted for all properties within the survey area. 4.Architectural survey forms were completed for each property and entered in a database format to support data analysis. 9StaplesandMay’s Addition IV .Survey findings Properties within the Staples and May ’s Addition residential area were evaluated for preliminary National Register significance in terms of the statewide historic context “St.Croix Valley Triangle Lumbering (1843-1914).”The Stillwater Historic Contexts document (Vogel ,1993) was used to evaluate local significance within the context of the “Development of Residential Neighborhoods in Stillwater,1850’s-1940’s.” Of the 122 properties surveyed ,all but one -the Consolidated Lumber retail building at 808 North Fourth -are residential.Fifty -eight homes were constructed before 1890,with one potentially pre-dating the 1873 recording of the addition’s plat. The Staples and May’s Addition includes homes representative of all eras after 1870,and homes of all ages were of varying condition and integrity.Thirty-seven homes were constructed between 1940 and the present.Of theses,most are typical post WWII “traditional modem ” homes.Although these homes in the survey area are not particularly distinguished ,it should be noted that as such homes reach the general National Register benchmark of fifty years of age, they are eligible for consideration as potential historic properties.1 1 Should further individual surveys be conducted ,the Residential Neighborhoods Context should first be re-evaluated and redefined to accommodate these buildings as well as more contemporary research on residential and suburban development in the United States. Staples and May’s Addition 10 V .Recommendations The act of collecting survey data is essential to the creation of contexts for local historic preservation efforts.The Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission has risen to this important challenge,and now has a remarkable repository of data compiled over 12 years. To truly benefit from the financial investment,time and effort put into the years of residential survey work,it is recommended that the Stillwater HPC apply the data to preservation education and outreach in relation to residential areas.The recommendations that follow offer interrelated options for the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission to actively apply the knowledge gained from the extensive compilation of high-quality residential survey data.'j A.Create and promote educational,residential design guidelines to assist in maintaining the historic and contextual integrity of Stillwater ’s residential neighborhoods. ‘! aaa«I ^ .jjFT1 1 AM yy ».;m• ....,mH i f .i Although presenting a gable "front ”,a set -back garage (left foreground )breaks the rhythm of this relatively intact row of early houses on the north side of the 300 block of West Hickory Street.The 1990 "traditional modern ”home with the attached garage on this corner site is oriented to the west ,and replaced a two -story,south -facing Italianatp hnmp Within the Staples and May’s Addition,many homes constructed since 1960 (and particularly since 1980),as well as earlier homes that have undergone radical alterations,have a 11StaplesandMay’s Addition disproportionately negative effect on the historic character and integrity of the neighborhood as a whole.This is also the case within other historic Stillwater neighborhoods.Field observations indicate that new or recently altered “subdivision-style”homes often ignore established streetscape rhythms such as setbacks,and frequently present the garage as the primary facade. Modern window replacements are often an obviously incongruous element on older homes. Additionally,extensive use of modern siding materials without regard for decorative millwork or other historic elements has resulted in the loss of considerable architectural detail normally associated with homes constructed during the pre-WWII period.In addition to a negative visual impact on the homes themselves,many elements of recent construction and remodeling also reflect an insensitivity to traditional community patterns of social interaction and cooperation. Community and homeowner education is a primary key to mitigating detrimental consequences associated with insensitive development and remodeling.Design guidelines are a particularly useful tool for this education.Whether such guidelines could or should be regulatory (as in the case of local district or property designations)or advisory is a question to be determined as part of a larger discussion within the Stillwater preservation and homeowner communities. Additionally,the process of creating and presenting such guidelines must go hand-in -hand with community education to overcome potentially negative misunderstandings about the nature of such guidelines,which must ultimately respect both the historic character of buildings and neighborhoods and the economic and livability concerns of individual property owners. While each surveyed Stillwater neighborhood differs somewhat in character,a preliminary review suggests that the vast majority of Stillwater’s housing stock in the surveyed areas can be grouped into major architectural and social categories that share characteristics typical of the “Development of Residential Neighborhoods in Stillwater,I 850’s-1940’s.” This means that well -researched design guidelines would be applicable to older residential neighborhoods throughout the city regardless of specific historic designations. Additionally,the precedent of design guidelines already exists within Stillwater’s Commercial Historic district.While commercial district design guidelines are used throughout Minnesota ,it should be noted that only a limited number of communities in Minnesota have developed residential design guidelines.(Information from the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office suggests that the most recent are the revised and updated guidelines for the City of St.Cloud ,to be completed July 2005,by Thomas Zahn and Associates).The wealth of historic residential architecture in Stillwater is a treasure acknowledged throughout the state,and active and public preservation of the city’s historic neighborhoods will enhance both the value of these treasures and Stillwater’s status as a community and historic preservation leader. This duplex ,which presents the garage as its primary facade and has a central driveway and recessed entryways, stands in contrast to more traditional and community -oriented architecture in the Staples and May’s neighborhood . Staples and May’s Addition 12 B.Work with the city ’s residents and city departments to define and designate residential historic districts. The designation of historic residential districts provides an opportunity to define and highlight a specific collection of historic homes.The most basic type of historic residential district would have a number of historically and /or architecturally significant or related homes with a high level of integrity within a well-defined geographic boundary.Local historic district designations allow regulatory options (such as design review )that are not available through National Register designation.In some cases,local and National Register district nominations can be produced simultaneously utilizing similar documentation,but each would require a separate review and approval process.In some cases,boundaries defined by these different types of designation may vary. It should be noted that previous residential surveys in 1995 by Norene Roberts offered two further suggestions for the creation of historic districts.One was the creation of a dis-contiguous historic district to address thematically similar homes scattered throughout the survey areas.A brief review of National Register guidelines suggests that a dis-contiguous National Register district is not an appropriate tool for Stillwater residential areas.However,it is possible to address a range of significant properties through themes established in a National Register Multiple Property nomination.Such a document,which would define broad residential themes and National Register eligibility criteria,would support and ease the nomination of individual homes to the National Register. A second option proposed by Roberts is the creation of a Neighborhood Conservation District Program.Defined in the most general terms,this is a more grass-roots program which addresses planning issues in neighborhoods that have suffered a loss of integrity to the degree that they are no longer eligible for National Register consideration,but still have notable resources.A Conservation District Program currently exists in the Dayton’s Bluff area of St.Paul. Research indicates that recognizing and preserving the historic character of neighborhoods has a direct financial benefit for homeowners and the community.A recent,comprehensive statistical analysis of real estate values for homes in designated local historic districts in South Carolina determined that housing values in designated historic districts increased between 11%and 50% more than in comparable neighborhoods.2 Additionally,the turnover in home ownership tends to remain low in historic districts. ! 1 i i 2 “Historic Districts Are Good for Your Pocketbook:The Impacts of Local Historic Districts on House Prices in South Carolina.”(2000).Available online at www.state.sc.us/scdah/propval.pdf . Similar studies are available from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation:“Impacts on Property Values,”online at http://www.achp.gov /economic-propertyvalues.html. 13StaplesandMay’s Addition 1 C.Establish a prioritized list and timetable for the development of local and National Register nominations for individual residential sites identified in all surveys. A review of early residential surveys conducted in Stillwater indicates that initial recommendations for local and National Register nominations were deferred in order to compile sufficient context for the comparison of individual properties’significance.Later survey recommendations for individual property nominations have not yet been implemented.(The interrelationship of individual local and National Register nominations,historic district nominations and any multiple property nomination should be considered as part of a larger process.)The same comprehensive review of survey data applied to the development of design guidelines can also contribute to the creation of a prioritized and properly contextualized list of individual property nominations,along with a timetable for their development. I I National Register and local eligibility within the Staples and May’s Addition: The definitive criteria for local designation of individual properties must be created from larger contextual statements developed through an analysis of the data available from all surveys. Absent these contexts,no property in the Staples and May’s Addition immediately distinguishes itself as a clear-cut candidate for local listing.When considering the larger pool of data and while establishing local criteria,it is recommended that the following properties in the Staples and May ’s Addition be utilized as examples of homes with a relatively high degree of integrity and significance within the “small pond”of the addition,and thus as useful in contributing to the scale of significance to be developed.These homes are also deemed eligible for National Register listing based on currently available data and are noted as such on survey sheets. A.The Swen Berglund home at 404 West Elm. B.John Werner home(s):702 North Fourth Street and possibly 212 West Maple Street. C.The Joy-Henning home at 214 West Elm Street. D.The J.P.Baker home at 218 West Maple. E.A selected example of a classic spec/working class home. The historic background for each of these homes or home types is discussed briefly in this report in Section VI below . i i i j There are also other homes in the Staples and May’s Addition that can contribute data to the establishment of local eligibility criteria.Such homes would likely be contributing buildings in a local district and may be eligible for individual local or National Register listing as more contextual information for Stillwater’s residential architecture becomes available.Twenty such homes with a suitable level of architectural integrity are recorded on survey sheets as “need more information”in the category of HPC eligibility. Staples and May’s Addition 14 D.Establish venues for community participation and education in heritage preservation. Public education and participation is paramount in setting and achieving Stillwater’s residential preservation goals.To be most effective,the creation of historic districts,design guidelines,and the nomination of individual properties should be coordinated with a public education process.It would be especially effective and important to utilize world-wide web technology to present and illustrate public education materials.3 Preservation outreach programs and easy access to preservation information for residents and developers will help assure that individual properties and the overall historic ambiance of Stillwater are properly maintained and rehabilitated.Such programs may also include recognition for exemplary residential preservation projects. The opportunities for public education are limited only by the energy (and,to some degree, funding)brought to such ventures,and such opportunities would offer a proactive and positive approach to residential preservation efforts.As a preservationist specialist in Washington State recently observed: Preservationists who come out of the woodwork solely to waggle fingers when tragedy strikes only undermine the value of preservation in the hearts and minds of those we most need to engage.Preservationists will forever be mistaken for obstructionists if we rely solely on regulation,and fail to tap the passion of the community ,which includes developers. Most of all,preservationists should celebrate loudly when good things happen to good buildings. 1 ! ]i i I . i 1 3 Recent review indicates that access to the Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission page on the City of Stillwater website is difficult,and assumes a user’s knowledge of the HPC’s relationship to the Community Development department or requires a keyword search. Additionally ,while previous neighborhood survey reports are now available online under “Community Information ,”they are not in a web-friendly format (and are absent photographic illustrations,presumably due to file size),nor are there links between the HPC page and the neighborhood histories. 4 Macintosh ,Heather.“The Pragmatist’s Process:The Evolving Case for Historic Preservation.” King County Bar Association,August 2004.Online at http://www .kcba.org/barbulletin /0408/article3.html I | , 15StaplesandMay’s Addition VI.Staples and May ’s Addition:Contextual Overview A .McKusick,Staples and May The area now defined as the Staples and May’s Addition to Stillwater was first a part of lumberman John McKusick’s extensive holdings in the Stillwater area.He purchased Section 28’s four oddly-shaped government lots (the river and what was to become McKusick Lake created the odd boundaries),numbered one through four,and registered the sale at the Falls of St.Croix land office on April 2,1849, about six months after the platting of the Original Town of Stillwater.By 1860,county tax records listed separately McKusick’s 40 acres of the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section 28, valued at $2000. i *SSgS«!i«Hr HUSH i i i Panics,depressions,and other factors created spurts and lulls in the town’s growth ,but additions were gradually made to the town.As noted by Norene Roberts,an account in the History of 'Washington County and the St.Croix Valley,published by in 1881,a set 1868 as the year during which building experienced a new boom,“unparalleled by anything in the history of the city.” Riding this wave,in April 1871,city surveyor Myron Shepherd surveyed and platted the quarter of a quarter section that by 1872 was owned by Isaac Staples and Morgan May ,each possessing an undivided half interest in the plat. Both Staples and May were successful land speculators and entrepreneurs with diverse holdings.Bom in 1818 in England,May used his family’s wealth to create his own small land empire in Minnesota beginning in 1855.Within a year he had built a warehouse provisions business on the levee at the foot of Chestnut Street.The lot on which the warehouse sat was sold to Staples after the building burned down in 1867,suggesting an established business relationship between May and Staples. Staples and May’s Addition (XXVI )was at the edge of development on an amended (original 1878 )sectional map of the City of Stillwater. (Note the difference in lot divisions in each addition.) H i i While diversified through lumbering,town proprietorship and other ventures ,much of May’s interest was focused on his extensive farm , named Emerald Grove,in what is today May Township near Marine Mills.By 1870,May’s 2000-acre farm was valued at over $50,000.In the same year,he married his second wife,Catherine McKenzie.In Staples and May ’s Addition 16 1 1871,as the Staples and May’s Addition was being surveyed,May signed a citizenship intent statement,which enabled him to become a member of the board of supervisors at Marine Mills. Although divesting himself of his holdings in the Staples and May’s Addition,and apparently often traveling outside of the state,he continued to amass wealth through his business interests and he employed many immigrants on his farm.He leased his farm in 1885 and moved to California for his wife’s health,returning to his farm in 1897 after her death.May died in Minnesota in 1902.5I Isaac Staples,often referred to as a lumber baron,was really a baron of many things,and his diversification protected him from any significant loss of fortune as the lumber industry waned in the latter part of the nineteenth century.Originally from Maine,Staples arrived in Stillwater in 1853 as a representative of the eastern lumber firm of Hersey, Staples,and Hall ,erecting the Hersey ,Staples and Company mill and managing its multiple interests,including the mill,lumber and land acquisitions,and the operation of a large grocery store in Stillwater. He was involved in the organization of the Stillwater and St.Paul Railroad in 1867,with a line completed to Stillwater by 1870.And like May,he owned extensive farmland.The largest of Staples’several farms was Maple Island Farm,approximately 3,500 acres east of Withrow and southwest of Marine.The farm provided products and supplies to Staples’other business interests such as the Staple butcher shop in Stillwater.6 He also owned the 800-acre Oak Glen Farm,immediately west of the Staples and May’s Addition when it was platted. In 1856,Staples and partners laid out a village south of Baytown,called Bangor.7 The company also laid out the Hersey ,Staples and Company addition to Stillwater in 1855,registering the plat in 1857. 1i 1 I “In 1871,Isaac Staples purchased his own sawmill ,The St.Croix Mills,on the north end of the downtown waterfront,and followed his own individual business interests,although he remained a partner in Hersey,Staples,&Bean until 1875.”8 i 5 Information on Morgan May from:Carlyle,Mimi.“Who was Morgan May?”in Historical Whisperings,Newsletter of the Washington County Historical Society ,Minnesota.July 1989. Online at “David Nash Ford’s May Family History”,copyright 2001, http://www .mayfamilyhistory .co.uk/memories/morganmav.html.retrieved March 3,2005. 6 Rosenfelt,Willard E.Washington:A History of the Minnesota County.1977:Croixside Press, Stillwater,Minnesota,p.202. 7 Ibid.,p.216. 8 Empson ,Don.A history of the Hersey Staples &Co.Addition residential area.Stillwater, Minnesota 2000. 1 1 17StaplesandMay’s Addition B.The Plat and Early Homes One of these individual interests from this new era in Staples’ventures was the 1871 survey of the Staples and May’s Addition .The time seemed ripe for such a venture,with the Stillwater Gazette reporting “unprecedented growth”in November of that year.! We understand that a very large number of buildings will be erected next season -possibly a larger amount than this season.In looking up our building statistics for the season just closing ,we find in numberless instances only cellars dug and in some cases,foundations laid ,with an ell erected,sufficient for the temporary accommodation of the family ,the intention being ,in nearly every case to complete the buildings next year.9 | i ! H The plat was officially recorded on May 6,1873 under the name Staples and May’s Addition, although by that time May ’s name had vanished from the new neighborhood’s tax rolls.(A local paper reported in that month that “Colonel May,”being about to “remove from the county and State,”had also resigned for the County Fair Executive Committee.10)Isaac Staples,however, began erecting homes in various locations throughout the addition,speculating on the arrival of an ever-increasing number of land and home-hungry new city dwellers. , I : , i i t 9 “Buildings and Improvements.”Stillwater Gazette ,November 14,1871. 10 “The county fair.”Stillwater Gazette ,June 10,1873. Staples and May ’s Addition 18 An 1871 bird’s eye map,created prior to the addition’s plat,shows only two homes in the area.One is located presumably just outside the future addition ,facing north.The other faces south,and appears to be located on what would become the comer of West Maple and S^Cthe south side of Block 16,lots 4 through 6.)A substantial home with the same orientation also appears in this location on the 1879 bird’s eye map. Records for this area are somewhat contradictory ;in spite of the cartographic presence of a house on this site in 1871,lots 4 though 6 were listed on the 1873 tax assessor’s records as owned by J.T.Perkins without a dwelling located upon them.However,by 1878,the tax assessor listed a home worth $1100 here. Now 218 West Maple Street,the home was owned by James P.Baker,listed in the 1881 city directory as involved with lumber.While not definitively the oldest home in the addition,the location and appearance of the home make it one of the more notable homes in the neighborhood. ri "1 i i , i 1 i i i 19StaplesandMay’s Addition If the home depicted on the 1871 map was not Baker’s,it is clear that by the time of the 1873 assessor’s report,three other homes were present in the new addition.One of these was the cross-gabled house located in Block 16 on lot 8.This home,located on the rise at 702 North Fourth Street,was valued at the time of construction at $700.This is the most substantial property sum recorded at this time in the addition,but it is relatively modest when measured against the elaborate homes in other parts of Stillwater like the North Hill.The home,erected by John Werner,should be recognized as a neighborhood keystone by virtue of its appearance,age, location and its approximately 80 years of ownership by the Werner family. :—» - ,i .i i i Staples and May’s Addition 20 In addition,between 1880 and 1884,Wemer erected a second gable-fronted home at 212 West Maple Street.Both homes appear to have remained under various family ownerships through the 1940s.The name of John Wemer (or a descendent of the same name)appears in various city directory listings over the years,with occupations under this name including night watchman (1876)prison guard (1881),laborer (1884)and confectioner (1890). 1 T 1 ! 4 Another home with a definitive construction date prior to 1873 is that of Peter Swenson,with a cross-gabled house at 924 North Fourth.Pryor’s 1876 city directory lists P.D.Swanson, “engineer ”,as residing at the corner of North Fourth and West Aspen.Peter D.Swanson is listed in later directories as a carpenter and,by 1890,as a millwright with Stillwater Manufacturing Company. Additionally ,E.P.Norton is listed as the original owner of the 1873 Italianate home at 504 West Hickory ,and by 1874,E.P.Musser owned a cross gabled house a block east at 404 West Hickory. Eleven other individuals had purchased one or two lots by 1873,and records show that Isaac Staples soon began to erect “speculative”homes on those lots not yet sold.Initial review of newspaper and other sources suggest that creation of the addition and the marketing of the lots was a quiet affair.The Stillwater Gazette reported briefly: 21StaplesandMay’s Addition Stillwater is extending its borders.Not as of old —branching off ,indefinitely into the country at random,to be eventually withdrawn -but now with a sure and healthy growth. Two additions have recently been made ,one by Staples &May ,and another by Harvey Wilson -on the western border of the city.The lots are very pleasantly located and desirable in every respect,and will command a ready sale.This is one of the many evidences of the steady and permanent advancement of the city’s progress and development.11 No advertisements specifically for the addition were placed in the newspaper after its platting ; instead,the only reference to real estate appears to be a small insert that simply noted that “lots throughout the city”were for sale, and that interested parties could inquire at the Gazette offices. ifr ^;mi v I - While the term “Staples’spec house,”is used in this report,it must be noted that Staples himself was not pounding nails.In fact, references in building permits throughout the addition’s history clearly indicate that “builders” were responsible for construction. In writing about residential development in Des Moines, Iowa,James E.Jacobsen sheds some light on the role of builders: 4 . By 1879,the Staples and May’s Addition was beginning to look like a residential city neighborhood ,with a density of homes along North Fourth Street and West Maple Street (nearest downtown )and otherwise scattered throughout the addition.(Ruger,Albert.Birds Eye View of Stillwater .1879.Courtesy of Empson Archives.) i l i Architects rarely played a role in designing individual residences of moderate cost.The contractor-builder...was the backbone of the housing industry.Independent in spirit, these remarkable entrepreneurs produced houses in the face of the highest possible risks. Turnover in the profession was high and many successful builders failed once they increased their operations.The Great Depression took them down in large numbers... Like his counterpart,the realtor-developer [such as Isaac Staples],a builder increased his profit margin by focusing on building up a particular plat .Land values escalated as buyers and owners were assured that the development would achieve its promised 11 “Stillwater is extending its borders.”Stillwater Gazette ,June 10,1873. Staples and May’s Addition 22 success .Builders bought up a number of lots for themselves or they put up houses for the developer .The operations of these builders is but poorly understood .12 Architect-designed homes do appear to be rare in the Staples and May’s Addition.13 However, contrary to the builders of Des Moines,it appears that several Stillwater builders found their profession to be a stable one,often for two or more generations.The names of Linner, Stevenson,and Anderson are commonly found on building permits over a span of many years. Of the approximately 25 homes erected,presumably on speculation,by Staples (and his builders) between 1873 and 1885,it appears that as many as 18 of them are still part of the Staples and May’s landscape.As is common throughout the Midwest,these homes are generally vernacular one and one-half story gable front homes that were most likely produced from pattern books, sometimes enlarged with an “ell.”14 Most of these homes in the Staples and May’s Addition had an initial worth of $150 to $300. i f 1 . ! 1 12 Jacobsen,James E.“Des Moines Residential Growth and Development,1900-1942:The Bungalow and the Square House.”National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form,June,2000. 13 One exception is the Edward Butler home.Butler applied to build a home designed by St.Paul architect J.L.Chamberlain at 924 5th Street in 1926 on the block formerly held by Mary Ann Bronson. i 14 These homes are discussed and illustrated in:Empson,Don.A History of the South Half of the Carli &Schulenberg Addition Residential Area .Stillwater,2001. 23StaplesandMay’s Addition 1 Extant homes that were erected by Isaac Staples are located at: 820 North Fifth 920 North Everett 314 West Hickory 520 West Hickory 714 North Martha 617 or 623 West Wilkins15 Homes that may have been spec homes with extensive additions or remodeling include: 820 North Fourth 801 North Fifth 1016 North Fifth 724 North Everett 924 North Everett 312 West Hickory 410 West Hickory 512 West Hickory 410 West Maple 712 North Martha 720 North Martha 724 North Martha ) i 313 West Elm 502 West Elm 715 North Everett . I %Jn -T vv.;.\Wri f -:11]f::j i J \•j i J Homes built on speculation by Isaac Staples were primarily one-and -a - half story gable front houses like these at 1016 North Fifth Street and 314 West Hickory Street. I I I i J : 15 Staples constructed a house on lot 2,Block 4.It is unclear which ,if either,of the two homes now on lot 2 this may have been. i Staples and May’s Addition 24 1 C.Residents and their Homes Among the more distinguished early lot owners in the addition was Captain William A.Bronson, Isaac Staples’son-in-law and private secretary,who owned all twelve lots on Block 7,initially worth a total of $300.The 1879 bird’s eye map depicts a road or footpath diagonally bisecting this vacant block,and continuing at an angle though Block 3 to the northwest,a then-vacant block also owned largely by Bronson.16 Under the ownership name of Mary Ann Bronson, Staples’daughter,a home worth $5000 was constructed on the comer of North Fifth and West Elm by 1881.17 This was probably the most architecturally and socially prominent home in the addition,but it disappeared from the landscape by 1929,making way for other homes. A few other,more socially prominent individuals and their families also lived within the addition ,with their homes reflecting this standing.For example,the two-story Italianate house at 214 West Elm (ca.1875)was first home to John M.Joy,with the Joy family involved in business with Bronson and Folsom as grain and feed merchants.By 1884 the home had been purchased by James Henning,a druggist and president of the St.Croix Savings and Loan Association in 1890.By 1910,the family of Eric Englin,a superintendent of sales at Minnesota Thresher,occupied the house. I 1 1 i 1 16 The only documented acknowledgement of this road found to date comes from reminiscences of Paul Caplazi,who noted in 1944:‘The twin houses in the northwest part of the city near Oak Glen farm were built many years ago.The road runs from 5th and Hickory diagonally through the woods by the Twin houses and out into the country.One of the Twin houses burned down several years ago,the other with its steep roof is still there in good repair.”The probable identity of the “twin houses”could not be determined in this survey. 17 The Union Holding Company sold off and /or developed other lots on the block over time as the Bronson company assets were liquidated.As a result of the block’s late development,two homes on the site of the former Bronson home are 1929 bungalows,while the remaining five are post WW-II modem.One lot remains undeveloped as a side lot of a bungalow . ' , I Staples and May’s Addition 25 I 1 i 1 i 1 i H! 1 i i ! Staples and May ’s Addition 26 ] The 1887 home of Swen Berglund and its building permit records reflect the improving fortunes of this Swedish lumberman who became an owner of the Stillwater Manufacturing Company. The company was a major employer of the era that also was involved in the construction of many Stillwater homes.18 1 ! 1 ) ! H In 1903 Berglund sold his interest in the business and his cross-gabled home with Queen Anne embellishments and moved to St.Paul,where he operated the S.Berglund Lumber Company. Berglund also was listed as the builder of the 1887 home at 723 North William Street for C.O. Anderson,who subsequently was listed as the builder for several homes in the addition in the early 1900s.Berglund also purchased several of the addition’s vacant lots in the period following Isaac Staples’death,perhaps as a speculative venture of his own. i The Berglund home remained under the ownership of a well-known Staples and May’s resident, Edward Johnson,who,with his sons,owned a meat market at 808 North Fourth Street,for over sixty years. 18 More information on Berglund and the builders and background associated with the Stillwater Manufacturing Company can be found in:Empson,Don.The History of the Greeley Residential Area."Stillwater,1997.See also:Hiebert,Gareth.“Berglund lumber ‘empire’had own realm.” Undated clipping,WCHS files;and Peterson ,Brent:“Hilma Berglund ,Weaver,Inventor,”in:St. Croix Valley Press,Feb.3.2005. i ! Staples and May’s Addition 27 Although located on lots in the Original Town of Stillwater,the construction of the William Sauntry Mansion in 1891 and the Sauntry Recreation Hall in 1902 (National Register of Historic Places,1982)did affect the Staples and May ’s neighborhood.The first effect was the imposing presence of these buildings just across West Maple from the addition boundaries.Additionally, prior to the construction of the buildings,frame structures were removed from each lot to locations within the Staples and May’s Addition.Although the size or function of the buildings was not specified,permits show that a frame structure was removed from the site of the future Sauntry mansion in 1886 and placed at 715 North William Street,adding to the property of Frank Lee.In 1902,a small building was moved from the Recreation Hall lot and placed across the street at 418 West Maple,where it became the property of Swan Anderson. 1 I I I 1 1 ' 1 ! , Staples and May’s Addition 28 While the somewhat erratic nature of the historic record allows us to make particular note of the homes mentioned above,the greater part of the addition,based on the limited evidence left to us through history,was dotted with modest homes that generally were occupied by modest laborers and an occasional factory foreman.Many residents,like others throughout the city,were listed in the city directories as employed by Seymour,Sabin and Company and its successors,Northwest Car Manufacturing and Minnesota Thresher.Other men were tailors,carriage and boilermakers, and teamsters.. Throughout the late 1800s and into the next century ,the occupations of wives and daughters, gleaned from city directories,also reflected a modest,working-class population.In 1890, Evangeline and Drusilla Smithson ,members of neighborhood grocer William Smithson ’s family, were teachers,as was Myrtle Reed at 404 West Hickory.Ida Holmberg,at 719 North Everett, was a dressmaker,as was Mary Frederickson at 814 North Everett in 1900.In 1900,Jennie Wemer,at 702 North Fourth Street,worked as a telephone exchange operator.Bertha Blankenhagen,who occupied a no-longer extant Staples home at 808 North Fourth Street (her home replaced in the 1980s),was an ironer for Eureka Steam Laundry.From her home at 623 West Wilkins,Charlotte Nordstrom served the community as a midwife in 1900. j i i D.Change over Time While the most dramatic change in the Staples and May’s neighborhood likely occurred in the 1870s with the appearance of multiple homes in an otherwise relatively vacant landscape after its initial platting,there are at least four thematic categories of changes that are evident today.These contribute to the contrast between the neighborhood one hundred years ago and the present. These thematic changes are evident in all of Stillwater’s previously surveyed neighborhoods,all to varying degrees,and reflect nationwide trends in changes to American neighborhoods. -4 , 1.Home remodeling j Even without the impetus of Home and Garden television,early Staples and Mays homeowners were gung-ho remodelers.One-and two-story rear extensions to the Staples spec homes,and to other homes with small footprints,were the most common effort.In the late 1800s and early 1900s,porches were added ,lengthened,or built up to the second story.By 1950,many porches had been removed.Several that had not been ripped from the facade were enclosed. Several tum-of -the-century permits also refer to interior remodeling. 2.Outbuildings and environment By the turn of the 19th century ,Sanborn maps suggest that many homes had one or more relatively small outbuildings,such as sheds,hen houses or other structures that supported typical small-scale domestic agriculture.Only a few of the larger homes in the Staples and May’s neighborhood required a carriage house.However,the advent of the automobile meant that some carriage houses were converted ,or,like many small sheds,tom down to make way for the essential garage.The addition was platted without alleys,and rear structures were accessed from the public streetfront,with driveways constructed along the sides of lots.Corner lots provided I Staples and May’s Addition 29 more discreet access to garage structures behind comer homes.Driveways prominently centered on the lot are a hallmark of more recent construction . Additionally,the view outside of the earliest Staples and May’s homes was likely quite stark,as these home were built on land presumably logged over during the town’s lumbering heyday.This changed over time as well. While artistic license must be granted ,the 1871 bird ’s eye map suggests the area was covered with low foliage;by 1879,the bird’s eye depicted individual trees on Staples and May’s lots.A photograph of 408 West Maple from the 1880s shows a brushy sapling centered on the fa?ade;a photo ca.1890 of 214 West Elm (see page 24)shows gracefully draped shade trees. i I I i 1 H i i The businesses and homes along North Fourth at the intersection of West Hickory were also witness to a change in environment with the landslide of May 9, 1894,when a “cloudburst” softened land and sent several homes into the ravine across the street from the Staples and May’s outer boundary. I 1 Reflecting the need to shore up sloped land and lots above street grade to prevent more minor landslides, retaining walls are found along the lot lines in various I I I Staples and May’s Addition 30 parts of the addition.These range from original stacked limestone in the 400 block of West Elm Street to poured concrete walls in the 300 block of West Maple Street (identified by the Stillwater HPC as a Works Progress Administration project). 3.Post -war development A third change,and one found throughout the United States,was the post-WWII infill with ranch-style homes typical of this era.While in some cases these “modem”homes replaced older homes of long standing,in many cases,their construction took place on previously empty lots, and resulted in an overall increase in neighborhood density.This was particularly true in the Staples and May’s neighborhood,where 38 homes-over 30%-were built between 1945 and the present.Notably,eighteen of these were built between 1945 and 1961,and nine were constructed during a building boom in the 1980s.19 i—S ! i i i 7 ] i - i The home at 403 West Elm is a post-World War II suburban -style or ’’traditional modern ”home typical of others in the neighborhood . i The Staples and May’s Addition does have a fairly substantial portion of unbuilt land that communicates a sense of openness.Lots on blocks surrounding the intersection of North Martha 19 This ratio appears to be comparable to other additions surveyed in Stillwater,with,for example,approximately 30%of the homes in the south half of the Carli and Schulenburg Addition and in the Greeley neighborhood constructed after 1940.Exceptions include the North Hill and South Hill areas in the Original Town,with survey data suggesting that only about 10% of the structures were built after 1940. Staples and May ’s Addition 31 and West Aspen ,including a large portion of Block 2 (Staples Field ,a park owned by the City of Stillwater)provide baseball ,tennis and playground facilities to area residents.20 ! 1 | 1 4 4.Land use and retail ventures Finally ,the Staples and Mays neighborhood exemplifies another typical change with its increased homogeneity of land use.Today,Consolidated Lumber,at 808 North Fourth Street is the only non -residential site in the addition.However,this area along North Fourth Street had a long history of much more visible retail operations.An 1891 Sanborn map shows a grocery and meat market operating out of side-by -side two-story buildings at 802 and 804 North Fourth. Beginning in 1894,the city directory lists grocers William Smithson and August Wennenberg as proprietors of the buildings,with J.D.Lotz operating a newly constructed one-story meat market (with a smokehouse to the rear)at 808 North Fourth . I ! Sandwiched in between ,and predating these retail operations,was a house built in the 1870s by the McAndrews family.The slightly angled and set-back home located centrally in lots 7 and 8 (today 806 North Fourth )soon came under the ownership of T.J.Wheeler,and building permits1 20 The nature of Staples’use of his “field”was not defined for this survey.Currently ,much of this open area is covered by a baseball field ,with a few mature trees near a playground .It should be noted that open land and /or natural spaces can contribute significantly to both the historic appearance and the social and community value of a neighborhood ,and it is recommended that neighborhood design guidelines address such features in addition to architectural features. ! Staples and May ’s Addition 32 for improvements to the meat market were subsequently filed under this name.This altered home was first occupied by James McAndrews,whose occupation was listed in city directories as a carpet weaver,as early as 1876. While the set-back home offered a bit of privacy ,maps show that all of the retail establishments fronted directly on the street.The 1890-91 Polk City Directory advertised: William Smithson,Staple and Fancy Groceries Choicest Brands of Tea always on hand Best Growths of Coffees Full of Aroma Comer Fourth and West Hickory Streets ] 1 The apparently thriving business in this location led to a warehouse addition to the Smithson market in 1904.When Wennenberg moved his operations to South Second at about this time, grocers Berglund and Peterson took over the space at 804 North Fourth.By 1910,they had relocated across the street to 807 North Fourth,grocer F.M.Bordwell had taken over Smithson’s business,and Edward O.Johnson assumed meat market operations that would continue as a family business through the 1950s. I i From about 1910 through 1915,a small cobbler shop,with the address of 804 1/2,was squeezed in among the stores.By 1924,Sanborn mapmakers had placed names on structures to the rear of the meat market at 808 North Fourth,making note of a building housing a cauldron and a hen house.Various confectioners occupied the building at 804 during this era. By 1924,the grocery at 802 became known as Hoehne’s Grocery and as a suitable adjunct,the company of Capellen and Pridemore constructed a “Cash and Carry Ice House”in 1926 on the lot associated with the store.The ice house,according to the building permit and appropriately enough,had no chimney,a flax “linnen”insulation and a double floor.In 1931,a fire forced repair of the 802/804 store roof and interior,with a “steel ceiling”installed in the first floor,a permit issued under the name of Emily Smithson.The structures at 802 and 804 North Fourth were razed sometime before 1956,and a south-facing modular-style home with the address of 204 West Hickory was built on this site in 1960. -4 i 1 1 I i Staples and May’s Addition 33 i I I i i ] ’ j 7 1 | ! Staples and May’s Addition 34 f "-.#1"kjar , 1 7 i i The corner of North Fourth and West Hickory today,where two retail grocery stores once stood.The greatly altered home at 806 North Fourth,built early in the 1870s and once accessed by a steep stair (depicted on the 1898 Sanborn and visible to the right of the stores in the 1894 view,previous page)can be seen between the trees at right. i As further evidence of changing times,marked by less frequent shopping trips and shoppers who wished to park their cars,a larger,modem grocery store was constructed behind the meat market at 808 North Fourth by 1970.The “Stillwater Country Boy”vacated this location by 1974,and by 1976 the Consolidated Lumber retail store began operating out of the building.The long- standing meat market was tom down sometime in this era. Although little evidence remains today,this block of the Staples and Mays neighborhood was once filled with the sounds and smells of chickens and other animals,the aroma of wood smoke and meat,and the traffic of neighborhood shoppers patronizing accessible neighborhood storefronts. As a more modern venture,a filling station was constructed two blocks north on North Fourth at the comer of West Wilkins in about 1935.In contrast to other Stillwater stations,this one was listed in city directories under the owner’s name (first Ray,and then Fred,Thompson),rather than listed in association with a specific brand of products or chain.The building’s angled position on the lot allowed cars easy entry and exit from the station ,and the hard-surfaced apron in front of the former station is still in evidence.By 1962,a local newspaper recorded that the “combination filling station and corner grocery store”had become the “Comer Cottage”antique l i 35StaplesandMay’s Addition store .21 This name,coupled with a 1977 photograph and the approximate date of the original construction all suggest that this building ,now a private residence,was one of the popular , cottage -style gas stations constructed in the 1930s . A filling station on the corner of North Fourth and West Wilkins (1010 West Wilkins ) was built in about 1935 in the era ’s popular cottage style.t i 1 Top:Illustration of the Pure Oil Gas Station ,Montgomery,Ohio,ca . 1931 .Designed by C.A.Petersen . http://www.ci .montgomerv.oh .us / Explore Montgomery /landmarks /la nd 07.html i -i TItiPI ®' Center:1010 West Wilkins Street , 1977 Rivertown Restoration photo documentation . v -aa r . ! i UIIHIIHH ! \ Below:1010 West Wilkins today. The station was converted to an antique store in the 1960s and later extremely altered as a private residence. i i ; 1 21 “New Antique Shop Opened Here.”June 21 ,1962.“Old Stillwater Comer Grocery Gives Way to Antique Shop.”May 1962.Unidentified news clippings ,Washington County Historical Society files . Staples and May’s Addition 36 E.Summary:A modest success The Staples and May’s Addition can be judged a modest success for both its original and subsequent owners.The addition’s lots sold at a quiet pace after the neighborhood ’s platting in 1873.Analysis of tax assessors’lists suggest that there were 32 homes in the addition by 1880,a number that had slightly more than doubled ten years later.By 1910,85 homes were assessed , increasing only to 90 by 1940.Previous Stillwater surveys cite a 37%drop in population between 1900 and 1920,22 and lot sales in the Staples and May’s Addition reflect this lull. With relatively moderate land sales,Isaac Staples appears to have convinced several homeowners to buy up vacant lots next to their existing homes.Owners subsequently sold these lots and subdivided larger and smaller parcels,allowing for the greater density of homes now in the addition.Still,two “empty”swaths of land exist,one serving as tennis courts in Block 3,and the other consisting of several lots in Block 2 that had never been developed,now bearing the honorary title of “Staples Field,”both owned by the city of Stillwater. While an analysis of Isaac Staples’financial dealings is beyond the scope of this report,it seems reasonable to speculate that the Staples and May’s Addition was a reliable investment performer, its modest growth providing a modest return that added to the overall wealth of Staples’ diversified holdings.Following Isaac Staples’death in 1898,unsold lots in the addition appear under the name of Charles Albert Staples,and through the ensuing years these were sold to various individuals at much the same rate as they were prior to Staples’death. i i Today ,the Staples and May’s Addition offers a range of generally well-kept housing with areas of greater -and lesser-historic character.-! 1 22 Empson,Don.A History of the Dutchtown Residential Area.Stillwater,1998. Staples and May’s Addition 37 VII.Bibliography Ames,David L.and McClelland ,Linda Flint.“Historic Residential Suburbs:Guidelines for Evaluation and Documentation for the National Register of Historic Places.”U.S.Department of the Interior,National Park Service,National Register,History and Education,2002.Available online at http://www .cr.nps.gov /nr/publications/bulletins/suburbs/ Caplazi ,Paul.Paper on early Stillwater days.Unpublished manuscript,April ,1944.On file at the Minnesota Historical Society.i Carlyle,Mimi.“Who was Morgan May ?”in Historical Whisperings,Newsletter of the Washington County Historical Society ,Minnesota.July 1989.Online at “David Nash Ford’s May Family History”,copyright 2001, http://www.mayfamilvhistory .co.uk /memories/morganmay .html.retrieved March 3,2005. City of Stillwater.Individual building files by address.City Hall. Easton ,Augustus B.History of the St.Croix Valley .Chicago:H.C.Cooper Jr.&Co.,1909.i Empson,Don. I A history of the Greeley Residential Area ,Stillwater,Minnesota 1997. A history of the Dutchtown Residential Area.Stillwater,Minnesota,1998. A history of the Holcombe's Addition residential area.Stillwater,Minnesota 1999. I A history of the Hersey Staples &Co.Addition residential area.Stillwater,Minnesota 2000. A history of the south half of the Carli &Schulenburg Addition residential area. Stillwater,Minnesota,2001. The west half of the Churchill,Nelson &Slaughter Addition residential area.Stillwater, Minnesota,2002. I The Churchill ,Nelson &Slaughter Addition residential area of Stillwater,Minnesota 2003. 1 s s. Staples and May’s Addition 38 ] Folsom ,W.H.C.Fifty Years in the Northwest .Pioneer Press Company ,1888. Hiebert,Gareth.“Berglund lumber ‘empire’had own realm.”Undated clipping,WCHS files. “Historic Districts Are Good for Your Pocketbook:The Impacts of Local Historic Districts on House Prices in South Carolina.”(2000).Available online at www.state.sc.us/scdah/propval.pdf .) History of Washington County and The St.Croix Valley.Minneapolis:North Star Publishing Company,1881. I Jacobsen,James E.“Des Moines Residential Growth and Development,1900-1942:The Bungalow and the Square House.”National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form,June,2000.i Johnston,Patricia Condon.Stillwater:Minnesota’s Birthplace in Photographs by John Runk. Afton:Afton Historical Society Press.1995. Macintosh,Heather.“The Pragmatist’s Process:The Evolving Case for Historic Preservation.” King County Bar Association,August 2004.Online at http://www .kcba.org/barbulletin /0408/article3.html “Old Stillwater Comer Grocery Gives Way to Antique Shop.”May 1962.Unidentified news clippings,Washington County Historical Society files. Peterson,Brent.“Hilma Berglund ,Weaver,Inventor,“St.Croix Valley Press ,Feb.3.2005. 11 ) ; H Roberts,Norene. Historical Reconstruction of the Riverfront:Stillwater,Minnesota.U.S.Army Corps of Engineers,1985.1 Intensive National Register Survey of Downtown Stillwater,Minnesota.Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission,1989. North Hill (Original Town )Stillwater Residential Area.Final Survey Report.Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission,June,1995. South Hill (Original Town )Stillwater Residential Area.Final Survey Report.Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission ,August,1996. I Rosenfelt,Willard E.Washington:A History of the Minnesota County.1977:Croixside Press, Stillwater,Minnesota ,p.2024. Ruger,Albert.Birds Eye Views of Stillwater.1870 and 1879.i Sanborn Insurance Maps,1884,1891,1898,1904,1910,1924.I St.Croix Union [newspaper,Stillwater,Minnesota] C Staples and May’s Addition 39 Sectional Map of the City of Stillwater,[1878]. Stillwater City Directories,1876-1964 Stillwater Daily Gazette [newspaper,Stillwater,Minnesota ] Stillwater Fire Dept.Runs by Address,1896-1906 .On file at the Washington County Historical society. Stillwater Gazette [newspaper,Stillwater,Minnesota] Stillwater Messenger [newspaper,Stillwater,Minnesota] Stillwater Public Library.Stillwater Building Permits [on microfilm]. Stillwater Public Library.St.Croix Collection. Vogel ,Robert.Stillwater Historic Contexts:A Comprehensive Planning Approach.Stillwater: Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission,July 1993. Washington County Recorder’s Office:Assessor’s Record Books Washington County Tax Assessor’s records for 1861-1950.Microfilm copies can be found at the Minnesota Historical Society,and the Stillwater Public Library.