Historical architect raves about fairgrounds buildings

12/24/2007

Historical architect raves about fairgrounds buildings
12/23/2007 8:19:36 PM
By Jeffrey Pieters

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

A citizens group working to prevent the demolition of Building No. 31, a 69-year-old limestone building on the Olmsted County Fairgrounds, has gotten a boost from a representative of the Minnesota Historical Society.

A historical architect invited to the fairgrounds last month to assess the building wrote glowing remarks about it in a Dec. 10 letter. His enthusiasm ran beyond Building No. 31 to several other properties on the fairgrounds.

"You have a great collection of buildings that as a whole would seem to have more than enough integrity to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places," wrote Mark Buechel, of the Historical Society. His letter was addressed to Steve Williams, a citizen involved in the preservation effort.

Financial aid

"It is my opinion as the state historical architect that a National Register district designation be investigated," Buechel wrote. Whether to seek that designation is up to Olmsted County. Listing on the National Register qualifies properties for federal and state financial aid for up to 50 percent of the cost of a restoration project.

Besides Building No. 31, which was built as a project of the federal Works Progress Administration in 1938, the fairgrounds administration building, the cast-iron elements of the grandstand and the stone wall surrounding the fairgrounds property all appear to be historically significant things that warrant preservation and repair, Buechel said.

The administration building might be one of only two remaining Civilian Conservation Corps administration buildings left in Minnesota, Buechel wrote. The grandstand is unusual in that it is cast iron, whereas most other grandstands from that era of construction were built from stone or concrete, according to Buechel.

Buechel's letter was "quite exciting," said John Kruesel, a Rochester businessman helping lead the preservation effort.

Structurally sound

Besides writing about the historical value of Building No. 31, Buechel also said that he considers the structure of the building generally sound.

The building's exterior walls "are in great shape," he wrote, and the deterioration at the ends of the building, near the roof line, affect only decorative elements that have little relation to the building's overall integrity. Some water is infiltrating the building there, but "even if nothing is done (to fix it) the exterior walls will stand for 20-plus years," Buechel wrote.

The county board has been considering whether to demolish the building to open a picnic area on the fairgrounds. The consideration also has been driven in part by restoration cost estimates in excess of $250,000. The building does not have heat or indoor restrooms, which limits its use.

The preservation group has been encouraged by public response, which in part seems to contain a certain amount of pent-up frustration from the loss of other historic buildings elsewhere in Rochester in recent times.

"I sense a lot of anger by people who are seeing these kinds of buildings come down," Williams said. "There is no value in tearing it down, and there is loss."

Want to help?

Restoring Building No. 31 on the Olmsted County Fairgrounds might require private donations. The citizens group working to prevent the demolition has arranged for the Rochester Area Foundation to serve as its fiscal agent, which would let donors claim tax deductions.

For information about the fairgrounds building, visit www.wpafairgrounds.com, and for information about the Rochester Area Foundation, visit www.rochesterarea.org or call (507) 282-0203.