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July 20, 1999
Preservationists seek historic status fordilapidated Brown County Poor FarmBy GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- An old, dilapidated building on Cottonwood Street has recently become the subject of debate between the New Ulm City Council and the Heritage Preservation Commission. The building, which is constructed of brick, housed the Brown County Poor Farm from January 25, 1908 to March 1, 1938. It is located down the hill from Schell's Brewery and directly across the Cottonwood River from Flandrau State Park. Originally located in Stark Township, the Poor Farm was built to provide low-income housing for Brown County residents. Inside the building was room for several boarding rooms and common rooms. After the building closed in 1938, the city sealed the doors and sold the property to the highest bidder, according to information at the Brown County Historical Society. "The building is in the city limits," City Council Member Joel Albrecht said. "It has been a problem ever since it was locked. Parties went on all the time and there has been vandalism." Throughout the years, the building has had several owners, who were all ordered to clean the property up, just like any other owner was required to keep their property clean, he said. The city required a fence be constructed around the building to keep people out, because it was declared a safety hazard, Albrecht said. "All the owners had some grand ideas for the building, but there have been a series of conflicting reports on whether or not the building can be re-used in its current state," he said. The current owner, Jon Hartley of Lafayette, has done extensive cleaning around the property, removing debris and having studies done on possible avenues of renovation, but nothing definite has been planned. Members of the Heritage Preservation Commission are determined to have the structure declared a historic landmark under an existing city ordinance, in an attempt to preserve the building. "Under the ordinance, when a structure is designated historic, nothing can be done to the exterior of the building without council approval," Albrecht said. "Anything can be done to the inside. That's what historic preservation is all about. That was the idea when I wrote the ordinance." The discussion revolves around the rights of the landowner, who can do what is economical, and heritage preservation people, who are determined to preserve it at all costs, he said. Charles Nelson, an architect with the Minnesota State Preservation Office has compiled a list of materials that will be needed for renovation of the structure and has looked at the facility. "He has designed plans for reconstruction of the roof and those plans can be included in any designation," Heritage Preservation Commission member Jim Bodine said. The designation of the building needs to be done quickly, or the building could potentially be lost, and the designation of the structure should not have to rest on any plans, Heritage Preservation Commission member Christine Carmichael said. "You will have a difficult time getting this through the council," Albrecht said. "Once it has been designated, then what? We have already ordered it torn down and fenced." If the building is designated it can be used for whatever the owner sees fit and he can even qualify for a 20 percent tax credit for renovation, Carmichael said. "The building has an interesting structure," Bodine said. "There are concrete pillars and floors that seem fairly solid. The brick is the main curiosity of the building. It is the same brick as that used on the train depot." The bricks are stamped with New Ulm, meaning they were probably locally made, because rarely were bricks stamped with the destination, but rather with the place of origin, he said. "There is some misunderstanding about what it means to have a building listed on a register," he said. "A National Register listing doesn't protect the property, but a local register can." Being listed on the National Register only provides for a six week stay of demolition and it means the owners of the building cannot use any federal funds for demolition, he said. "It takes the local register to protect a building from demolition," he said. "It is not an issue of personal taste. We have to adhere to certain guidelines for designation. A building can have local historical significance without having to have national historical significance and still be listed on a local register." The goal of the commission is to have a team of experts go through the building and determine what can be done, so they can begin the process of getting the building listed on the local register. "It all comes down to a question of whether it is a matter of being historically correct or whether it is a matter of expediency," Albrecht said.
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