Thursday, September 19
7:45-8:45 a.m. Registration, Networking, and Breakfast
Red Wing Public Library, 225 East Avenue, Downstairs Level
Coffee, tea, and continental breakfast.
8:45-9:15 a.m. Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Sheldon Theatre, 443 West 3rd Street
- Curt Yoakum, Assistant Commissioner, Department of Administration
- Hon. Mike Wilson, Mayor of Red Wing
- Representative Pam Altendorf, District 20A
- Amy Spong, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
- Michael Koop, Certified Local Government Coordinator
9:30-10:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Native American Burial Lands: Why Ownership Matters - Sheldon Theatre
Katie Himanga, Lake City Heritage Preservation Commission; Megan Smith, Lake City Planning and Community Development Director; and Shelley Buck, Executive Director, Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, and former Prairie Island Indian Community Tribal Council member
The session will explain how the City of Lake City, MN transferred a Native American burial site that was in city ownership, to the Prairie Island Indian Community (PIIC) located near Red Wing. The story unfolds with the Lake City HPC first researching the site to determine the site’s eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. After reviewing the report, the HPC began to discuss the ethical dilemma of nominating a cemetery to be recognized as historically significant by the federal government, when the site existed well before the nation was established and is sacred to people we know very little about. The session will discuss the concerns during the process, and the difficulty of trying to name the site without having collaboration and an understanding of native languages and native place names. Eventually, the HPC and the City began to foster a relationship with the Prairie Island Indian Community and made the decision to give up ownership of the land and transfer it to the PIIC.
Why Should I Care? How to Connect People to Preservation in Historic Downtowns and Commercial Districts - Red Wing Public Library, Community Room (downstairs)
Emily Kurash Casey, Rethos | Minnesota Main Streets
Sometimes it feels like the people working in historic preservation and those involved in economic development and revitalization activity aren’t on the same page or are even acting in opposition to each other. Especially in small towns, it’s crucial for people who care about downtowns and historic districts to combine energy and efforts for lasting and impactful efforts. A primary focus for Main Street programs is historic preservation, but how do the tools of historic preservation or even caring about preservation efforts get implemented? How can people who are creating city codes and managing development begin to understand why preservation matters? By actively engaging people involved in all areas of downtown redevelopment, Main Street programs have found ways to get people to buy into preservation practices and begin to understand the value of breathing new life into old buildings. On the flip side, Main Street programs have also helped practicing preservationists understand the challenges faced by people new to the world of historic downtown districts. This session will share examples from communities around the state of how it’s possible to get organized around district revitalization, and showcase success stories of preservation and community development in practice.
Grants For Underrepresented Communities: Navigating National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund Grants - Sheldon Theatre 3rd Floor Studio
Amanda DeCort, National Park Service and Erin Que, City of Minneapolis
This session will give attendees the knowledge they need to navigate several National Park Service grant programs that focus on preservation in Underrepresented Communities. Amanda DeCort will give an overview of several grant programs, including History of Equal Rights, African American Civil Rights, and Tribal Heritage, and then dive into the Underrepresented Communities (URC) grant program in depth. She will provide examples of successful URC grant projects by CLGs, SHPOs and THPOs. She will demonstrate how URC grants can be used by entities large and small – and how the URC grant can lead to larger preservation projects. The City of Minneapolis was recently awarded a URC grant for the Minneapolis African American Historic and Cultural Context Study and National Register Nominations. Erin Que from the City of Minneapolis will talk about why they chose the URC grant program, what they plan to do, and what Minneapolis hopes to accomplish through the process. She will share their application experience as a first-time grantee.
10:30-11:00 a.m. Break – Red Wing Public Library, Downstairs Level
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Keynote Address - Sheldon Theatre, 443 West 3rd Street
25 Years and Counting of Lessons in Archaeology and Preservation in Red Wing
Professor Ron Schirmer, Ph.D., Director, Archaeology Division, Museum of Anthropology, Minnesota State University, Mankato
When most people think of archaeology in Minnesota, they think of it as investigating and helping write the history and prehistory of our region’s recent and ancient peoples. Yet archaeology itself has a history, and in Red Wing it is a history of both tragic failures and stunning successes. Few other places can boast the long-term partnerships among private citizens, public institutions, and professional researchers that help make Red Wing’s archaeological resources so accessible to the public. The stories of some of these past successes and current projects provide models for the kinds of preservation and stewardship partnerships that can be applied in many communities. In this talk, Ron Schirmer will discuss progress in understanding the complex and fascinating archaeology of the Red Wing area, as well as the development of Tribal and community partnerships that have advanced a landscape of awareness of, and concern for the cultural resources that lay all around, too often out of sight, and therefore out of mind. Professor Ron Schirmer is responsible for teaching more than 12 different undergraduate and graduate courses in anthropological and archaeological data, methods, and theory at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is also the Director of the department's museum of anthropology, which curates over one million archaeological artifacts and associated documentation.
12:00-1:15 p.m. Lunch - St. James Hotel, 406 Main Street, Summit Room, 5th Floor
1:30-2:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Many Hands Make Right Work: Truly Collaborative Preservation Planning in Red Wing - Sheldon Theatre
Franky Jackson, Compliance Officer, Prairie Island Indian Community Tribal Historic Preservation Office; Ron Schirmer, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Andy Brown, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Kyle Klatt, Community Development Director, City of Red Wing; Patrick Ramaker, Deputy Director of Building and Grounds, City of Red Wing; Michelle Leise, Community Engagement Facilitator, City of Red Wing
Although it should always have been the case, the importance, value, and practicality of full partnerships among specialists from Tribal, Public, and Academic backgrounds has only begun to exist in the last decade or so. Even so, very few partnerships like this exist anywhere. Against a backdrop of countless failures to meaningfully engage with each other, with attendant disastrous results for cultural resources, it is especially important to learn how to build partnerships which honestly recognize and empower relevant stakeholders. Such a partnership, formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding, has emerged among the Prairie Island Indian Community, the City of Red Wing, and Minnesota State University, Mankato. This discussion will focus on how that partnership was built and how it functions today, so it may hopefully serve as an example of how to cognize and implement similar partnerships elsewhere.
Centering Black Voices in Preservation Planning and Context Studies - Christ Episcopal Church
LaJune Lange, LTL International Leadership Institute; Nieeta Presley, New Life Possibilities; Erin Que, City of Minneapolis; Lindsey Wallace, 106 Group
Historic context studies form the basis of preservation planning. However, preservation planning has long excluded and negatively impacted marginalized communities. Efforts in Saint Paul and Minneapolis are changing that practice by developing citywide Black history studies alongside community members. Incorporating cultural histories and partnering with communities is essential to the work. In 2017, a non-profit neighborhood organization hired a consultant to conduct community engagement and write the Saint Paul African American Historic and Cultural Context Study. Following their lead, City of Minneapolis preservation staff hired a community-led consultant team to conduct engagement first, which was completed in 2022. In both cities, a community member brought their passion and vision, and attracted others to join the effort. These efforts have welcomed new voices into the conversation and sparked new actions to preserve Black heritage, designate historic places, and share stories more broadly. Hear the impact of this collaboration on current planning decisions.
Preserving Minnesota’s Basic Infrastructure - the Cadastral Net - Red Wing Public Library, Community Room (downstairs)
Rod Squires, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota; Sam Gibson, County Surveyor, Washington County; Kory Thurnau, Minnesota Geospatial Office (MnGeo); Chris Ambourn, Westwood Professional Services
Between 1847 and 1908 General Land Office (GLO) deputy surveyors set monuments in the ground along intersecting north-south and east-west lines to define the location and the boundaries of tracts of land that the United States would then offer to individuals at public auction. Federal and state law continue to make reference to those monuments, and so their preservation is necessary. All conveyances of title to land, either directly or indirectly, refer to those monuments, which are also used (a) to define the location and boundaries of all forms of local governments; counties, townships and municipalities (villages, towns, and cities) and (b) to define the location and boundaries of most of the components of Minnesota’s Outdoor Recreation System defined in Minnesota Statutes 86A, including those properties and historic districts that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This session will describe the GLO surveying operations and their resulting impacts on the landscape, outline current efforts to restore corner monuments that have been destroyed by land use changes in the last century, and describe recently completed surveying operations that have permanently preserved a large tract of land a tract in Washington County.
Three History Buffs Walked Into a Room….And a Whole Community Became Involved - Sheldon Theatre 3rd Floor Studio
Dr. Julie Anderson, Waseca HPC Chair; John Hanson, Waseca High School Social Studies Instructor; and Dan Hoisington, Independent Consultant
Walking tours play a crucial role in preserving historical culture in downtown districts by fostering a deeper connection between people and their heritage. These tours serve as educational platforms, offering participants the opportunity to learn about the history, architecture, and significant landmarks of the area. By engaging with knowledgeable guides and informative materials, individuals gain a better understanding of the cultural significance of their surroundings, thereby instilling a sense of appreciation and respect for the heritage of the district. The Waseca HPC received a CLG grant to engage youth in our community – guided by a Waseca high school teacher and consultant – to research, write, film and edit videos depicting historical points of interest. These videos are now accessible via the web and through a mobile app. We will share the path we took that included outreach to and involvement by a variety of community residents.
2:45-3:15 p.m. Break – Red Wing Public Library, Downstairs Level
3:15-4:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Diversifying the National Register of Historic Places: Current Practices - Sheldon Theatre
Rachel Leibowitz, Ph.D., Historian, National Register of Historic Places and Ginny Way, National Register Architectural Historian, MN SHPO
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's cultural resources worthy of preservation. Properties listed in the National Register include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and/or culture and which possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Critics of the program often cite perceived issues such as a lack of diversity or a focus on material integrity to advocate for the revision of the National Register program. This presentation seeks to introduce, or reintroduce, attendees to the work the State of Minnesota and the National Park Service are actively doing to “encourage the nomination of the diversity of resources that reflect the depth and breadth of the nation’s history” (NPS Best Practices Review, January 2024). Join us to learn what is possible under the existing regulation and guidance.
Busting the Myth: The Case for Keeping Old Windows in Service - Christ Episcopal Church
Paul Schmidt, Restoration Window Systems
How do old original windows compare to new replacement windows? An overview of energy efficiency, aesthetics, and longevity between old and new will give you surprising answers. There are many reasons given for replacing original windows, but most are centered on energy efficiency. The common fallacy put forward is old windows are “not efficient and must be replaced” or “there is nothing you can do to an old window to make it efficient so just replace it.” As many of us suspect, this is not really the case. But just how misleading is this argument? We will discuss overall insulating value of old and new windows, payback on replacing windows, condensation problems, aesthetic differences, and more.
Using Archaeology to Holistically and Inclusively Tell Stories About Places and the Past - Red Wing Public Library, Community Room (downstairs)
Lucy Harrington, Environmental Review Archaeologist, MN SHPO
Minnesota’s Heritage Preservation Commissions (HPCs) are very familiar with historic buildings and historic districts, and dozens have successfully leveraged CLG grant funding to identify and document historic buildings and districts. However, only two of Minnesota CLGs have successfully used CLG grants to identify and document historic resources other than buildings: Red Wing and Elk River. Red Wing recently updated documentation for Ȟe Mni Caŋ (Barn Bluff) to tell more inclusive stories. The City of Saint Paul has used Legacy grants to update and change how they manage and interpret Indian Mounds Regional Park in partnership with Dakota Tribal Nations. Nearly every local government in Minnesota has archaeological resources and/or traditional cultural places that may need to be managed in future development projects. This can sometimes be viewed as a “roadblock” or “red tape,” but instead can be seen as an opportunity to tell more complete and inclusive stories about the past and a way to increase heritage tourism.
“I Once Bought an Office Chair There”: An Innovative Renovation of a Clarence Johnston Designed Building - Sheldon Theatre 3rd Floor Studio
Bethany Gladhill, Business Affairs Director, FilmNorth and Colin Oglesbay, Managing Principal and Founder, D/O Architects
2441 Arts (Brown-Jaspers Furniture Building) on University Avenue in Saint Paul has been better known to most for the past several decades as an underused site for SOS Office Furniture. Learn how D/O Architects and FilmNorth (a film services nonprofit) joined together in 2023 to renovate the building into a bustling creative hub that both honors the site’s history and achieves LEED Silver certification. To do so, we created an unusual partnership that leveraged HTCs, NMTCs, public funding, private donations, and investors in a very complicated — but extraordinarily successful — adaptive use project. This session will be a case study in what worked well in the process, and even what could have gone better.
4:30-6:00 p.m. Tour of Red Wing Shoe Company, 314 Main Street
Clare Pavelka, Corporate Archivist and Historian
The Red Wing Shoe Company was established in Red Wing in 1905 and continues to be based in the community, including its main production facility and its corporate headquarters. In 1988 the company’s international headquarters was moved to its current location in Riverfront Centre, a complex consisting of five restored buildings fronting Main Street that date from 1858 to 1884. Riverfront’s exterior restoration and adaptive reuse of the interior was completed by the Red Wing Shoe Company as part of a larger community development project that also added an urban park and a 313-stall public parking ramp on the block. Led by Clare Pavelka, Corporate Archivist and Historian.
Friday, September 20
8:00-9:00 a.m. Registration, Networking, and Breakfast
Red Wing Public Library, 225 East Avenue, Downstairs Level
Coffee, tea, and continental breakfast.
9:00-10:00 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Applying the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehab: A Contextual Approach - Sheldon Theater
Ginny Way, National Register Architectural Historian, and Catherine Sandlund, Architectural Design Reviewer, MN SHPO
The National Park Service’s Secretary of the Interior’s Standards serve as the basis for most local preservation ordinances and are used by a broad range of building owners as well as governmental units; however, the Standards are used within the framework of the National Register of Historic Places. Historical Architect Natascha Wiener and National Register Architectural Historian Ginny Way will lead participants through the larger process of using the Standards starting from the broader context to making specific treatment decisions. This interactive session will include ample time for Q & A.
From 1932 Band Stand to 2009 Band Shell – Music in Red Wing’s Central Park - Christ Episcopal Church
Ann Voda, AIA, CID, BD+C, Bentz/Thompson/Rietow; Steve Kohn, Planning Manager, City of Red Wing; Scott Jones, Jones Family Foundation
Hear the story of the design and construction of the Central Park Bandshell – Red Wing’s ‘Community Living Room’ – located in the heart of the Red Wing Mall Historic District. The session will discuss the significant historic features of the park, including the 1880 balustrade, the 1932 bandstand, and the larger historic district. Some of these elements were removed to allow for the construction of a contemporary yet compatible structure to support 21st century performance requirements including infrastructure for power, sound, and lighting controls. The session will begin inside with a presentation followed by a short walk outside to the park.
Made and Loved in Minnesota: Preservation of the Streetcar Boat MINNEHAHA - Red Wing Public Library, Community Room (downstairs)
Tom McCarthy and Liz Vandam, Lake Minnetonka Historical Society
This session will describe the ongoing preservation of the National Register-listed streetcar boat MINNEHAHA. A Minnesota icon, the MINNEHAHA is the only remaining sister boat of the six original streetcar vessels designed and built in 1906 by Wayzata boatbuilder Royal Corbin Moore for the Twin Cities Streetcar Company to service Lake Minnetonka. Along with the MINNEHAHA’s history, that includes her scuttle, salvage and relaunch, session attendees will receive an in-depth review of MINNEHAHA’S ongoing preservation requirements, the duties of her army of caregiving volunteers and her impact on Minnesota tourism. As an operational historic artifact, she commands awareness about the importance of active participation in preservation through her ridership experience.
10:00-10:30 a.m. Break – Red Wing Public Library, Downstairs Level
10:30-11:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
A World Heritage Initiative for Minnesota - Sheldon Theatre
David Mather, National Register Archaeologist, MN SHPO
Places inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List hold outstanding universal value. They include such recognizable names as Stonehenge, Angkor Wat, the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Wall of China, and the Giza Pyramids, although most of the 1,199 current listings may not be as immediately recognizable. There are currently no such designations in Minnesota, despite the presence here of places that certainly meet UNESCO criteria. This session proposes a World Heritage Initiative for Minnesota, based on an initial planning study conducted by University of Minnesota students in Dr. Mather’s Applied Heritage Management class. This would be a lengthy effort requiring a coalition of interested organizations and individuals, as recent designation elsewhere in the United States has taken decades to achieve. This initial plan provides an overview of the UNESCO World Heritage program and criteria, and outlines the steps and processes needed to ultimately reach that goal. We also identify places in Minnesota that we feel are eligible, while recognizing that a full list would be developed in a process involving public input and tribal consultation. We suggest that a full plan for this initiative could be modeled after Minnesota’s Statewide Preservation Plan, and that such an effort would meet Preservation Plan goals to facilitate connections and cultivate partnerships (Goal 1) and promote economic benefits (Goal 4) through increased recognition and heritage tourism.
Main Street in Action: Projects and Progress in Red Wing - Christ Episcopal Church
Emily Kurash Casey, Rethos | Minnesota Main Streets and Megan Tsui, Red Wing Downtown Main Street
Red Wing Downtown Main Street (RWDTMS) has been a Minnesota Main Street Community since 2013. As part of the Main Street network, RWDTMS has seen the landscape of their downtown grow, change, and face challenges like fires, accidents, and the pandemic. In their decade-plus of Main Street efforts, RWDTMS has not only been the connector of people and organizations for the greater good of downtown, but they’ve been the catalyst for restaurant, retail, and building redevelopment initiatives. This session will share a brief overview of how communities are part of Minnesota Main Street, and then give attendees the opportunity to hear directly from RWDTMS staff about their planning processes, partnerships, and visit properties that have been part of redevelopment initiatives. RWDTMS staff will share their experiences in redevelopment and give those doing the physical work of redevelopment a platform to highlight their struggles and successes. This session will involve walking multiple blocks throughout downtown Red Wing.
Using the Minnesota Historic Inventory Portal (MnSHIP) - Red Wing Public Library, Community Room (downstairs)
Ginny Way, National Register Architectural Historian, MN SHPO
Do you remember visiting the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to peruse the many filing cabinets? Do you want to know how to do that from home? In late 2023 the SHPO introduced a new online tool to conduct research on standing structure properties in Minnesota known as the Minnesota Historic Inventory Portal (MnSHIP). The new application is a powerful resource for anyone with an interest in many of SHPO’s records. Currently MnSHIP holds more than 115,000 inventoried properties and approximately 78,000 legacy files that were scanned. Join us as we learn more about what the application holds, how to use it, and what SHPO is working on next. This talk will focus on using the public access level of the application to research properties.
11:30-1:00 p.m. Lunch – Red Wing Public Library, Downstairs Level
1:00-4:00 p.m. Concurrent Tours
Accessibility - Every effort will be made to accommodate participants with accessibility and mobility issues, including transportation, if needed, from the conference venue to special events. Participants are reminded that many historic and private buildings do not have elevators and require climbing steps. Buses will require the ability to maneuver steps and may drop off participants some distance from the destination. All tours will include walking segments. Please contact the Minnesota SHPO prior to registration to determine accessibility of activities, and how we can make the Preserve Minnesota Conference a great experience for you!
TOUR 1: Ȟe Mni Caŋ (Barn Bluff) Regional Park and/or Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at the Historic Tower View Estate
Ȟe Mni Caŋ (Barn Bluff or Mt. La Grange), the City of Red Wing’s most famous landmark, began forming over a half billion years ago as part of the floor of a shallow inland sea; taking its current form as the result of raging glacial melt waters, which carved the Mississippi River Valley. Ȟe Mni Caŋ and its nearby neighbor, Sorin’s Bluff, withstood most of the powerful erosion and became islands in the river. This tour will begin with an introduction to the bluff, including its history and cultural significance to both Native Americans and Euro-Americans, at the Ȟe Mni Caŋ Regional Park entrance plaza, which was recently designed and constructed in cooperation with the Prairie Island Indian Community. Attendees will walk along a short ADA trail and stop at the G.A. Carlson Lime Kiln to learn about the Red Wing limestone industry and its impacts to the landform. Participants will then hike the bluff in small, guided groups to learn about the rare native bluff prairie ecosystem and take in views of the city and the Mississippi River valley from the summit. Both the G.A. Carlson Lime Kiln and Barn Bluff are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. At the conclusion of the hike, the group will head by bus to the Memorial Park overlook on Sorin’s Bluff. NOTE: This tour will require walking uphill on gravel trails.
For those attendees who are unable to hike up Barn Bluff, the bus will go to the Anderson Center at Tower View for a guided tour. Located on the western edge of Red Wing, the Anderson Center at Tower View occupies the former estate of Dr. Alexander Pierce (A.P.) Anderson, his wife, Lydia, and their four children. Dr. Anderson gained worldwide renown for developing the American breakfast cereals "Quaker Puffed Wheat" and "Quaker Puffed Rice." Built from 1915-1921, the Tower View estate served as a residence, working farm, and vibrant research laboratory where more than 15,000 cereal experiments were conducted for the Quaker Oats Company. Since 1995, the Anderson Center at Tower View has supported more than 800 artists and scholars by renting below-market space and presenting a year-round calendar of artistic programs to local and regional audiences. The tour will highlight the entire Tower View facility, including its 11-acre sculpture garden, and conclude at the Memorial Park overlook at Sorin’s Bluff.
TOUR 2: Red Wing’s Historic and Conservation Districts
Situated alongside the Mississippi River, surrounded by limestone bluffs, the City of Red Wing enjoys an enviable natural environment. Equally impressive are its many historically and architecturally significant buildings and sites that reflect its beginnings as a riverfront trade point. This bus and walking tour will include visits to all five of the City’s Historic and Conservation Districts: 1) Downtown Historic District; 2) St. James Hotel Historic District; 3) Red Wing Mall Historic District; 4) West Residential Conservation District; and 5) South End Residential Conservation District. The tour will also include a stop at Oakwood Cemetery to view the Clarence H. Johnston, Sr.-designed entrance gate and chapel, before ending at the Memorial Park overlook on Sorin’s Bluff.
TOUR 3: Prairie Island Indian Community Edwin Buck, Jr. Buffalo Project Tour
The Dakota people share a special connection with the Tatanka Oyate – or buffalo people. They are spiritual relatives whose fates have been inseparable for centuries. Today, the Tatanka Oyate and Native Americans are enjoying a shared resurgence. From being nearly extinct 120 years ago, today it is estimated that there are more than 500,000 American bison, with those numbers growing every year. Similarly, Native Americans, who faced their own threat of extinction are once again growing in population, with the latest Census data estimating the number at nearly 7 million. In 1992, the Lakota Nation of South Dakota – after receiving financial support from the Prairie Island Indian Community – gifted the Tribe, Shooting Star, a six-year-old bull. Rather than making a community feast with the gift, Tribal Elders and Tribal Council decided that Shooting Star represented an opportunity to permanently return buffalo to Prairie Island, paving the way for the Prairie Island Edwin Buck Jr. Memorial Buffalo Project. More than 30 years later, nearly 200 buffalo – or American bison – once again roam the pastures of Prairie Island. Up to 10 bulls are harvested annually with the meat and hides from the animals being distributed to community members. This tour will provide an up-close personal experience with the buffalo and will leave attendees with a deeper understanding of the buffalo and what they mean to Native Americans, and specifically to the Prairie Island Indian Community.