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2a. SHPO Memorandum - 08-31-2023 Date August 31, 2023 To Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) From Scandia Heritage Alliance and Todd Grover, Architect Project Scandia Water Tower Barn Regarding National Register Eligibility of the Scandia Water Tower Barn Scandia Heritage Alliance (SHA) is relocating and re-erecting the historic Scandia Water Tower Barn tankhouse, which was dismantled in 2014 As part of this work, they intend to submit a nomination for designation to the National Register of Historic Places. Upon designation, SHA will proceed with a certified rehabilitation of the property. The purpose of this memorandum is to propose details for meeting the “structure” requirement for designation, as well as to initiate discussion of an acceptable in-kind windmill model to demonstrate tankhouse engineering associated with the building. Additionally, we are seeking guidance from SHPO on the best path to accomplish a tax-credit qualified certified rehabilitation of this unique structure. Significant Example of Engineering The 2022 report “Scandia Water Tower Tank Barn: A Historical Investigation” by Charlene Roise provides evidence that the Water Tower Barn poses a high potential for significance under Criterion C related to its engineering technology. The Water Tower Barn is significant for following reasons: • This is a rare surviving example of a late 19th century tank barn — believed to be the last example in Minnesota — combining the dual use of the windmill/tankhouse with typical barn functions. • This structure offers a unique opportunity to restore and interpret a fully functional Aermotor windmill and tank system for demonstration to the public. Water Tower Barn Story Frank Lake’s mercantile was a center of community life in Scandia in the 1890s and early 1900s. Located just across the road from Elim Church, it offered everything from the latest fashions to shiny new farm equipment. Lake proved to be one of the state’s most successful early entrepreneurs, later founding Federated Insurance, a nationwide provider. When Lake built a barn just behind his store, it was not simply to stable his delivery horses. He added a windmill to pull water from deep underground and an elevated water tankhouse. Wooden pipes supplied his business, home, and neighbors with fresh water. A horse-drawn wagon delivered water to outlying homes and traveled to Copas to pick up goods for the Mercantile. Scandia businesses flourished. Lake also sold the famous Aermotor windmill, which had taken the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair by storm. Windmills soon dotted the Midwest landscape, transforming life on small family farms by providing a mechanized source of potable water. While crucial, the age of the windmill was brief. By the 1930s, rural electrification offered a modern alternative. But windmills are more than just a symbol of a bygone era. They represent a spark of human ingenuity that employed wind and water to make an entire way of life possible. Such is the deeper story of Scandia’s Water Tower Barn, the last structure of its kind in Minnesota. 2 • Whereas elevated water tanks were typically built by municipalities, railroads, and ranches, this structure was constructed and managed by a private enterprise to provide water to local homes and businesses, further distinguishing it as unique. Also of note, the historic significance of tank barns has been established through previous National Register designations. The Roise report identifies 2 examples in other States. Neither of these are proximate to Minnesota, making this designation more important. The 2022 Minnesota State Legislature recognized this importance by providing funding for this project, indicating it was “eligible” for National Register designation. (Laws 2022, Ch, 72, Art. 2, Sec. 9, Subd. 7.) Distinct Design As a supplement to Roise’s report, Charles Liddy, FAIA Emeritus and retired Principal of Miller Dunwiddie Architects, provides a “Statement in Support of the Historical Uniqueness and Distinct Design of the Scandia Water Tower Barn.” Among his reasons for support, he states: The water tower barn is a truly distinct design, which is supported by the following factors: • The building was built specifically to house a water supply system. This could have been done with a simple windmill and elevated tank but using an existing barn and adding more space gave entrepreneur Frank Lake storage space for his other nearby commercial endeavors. • Enclosing a tank within a barn offered the advantage of protecting the water from freezing, due to the rising heat from the animals. The water tank in Scandia was also within a “frost box,” a structure with alternating layers of wood and air that helped insulate the tank. • Scandia area Swedish immigrants were familiar with constructing timber-framed buildings out of tamarack [the primary wood used in the post-and-beam structure], which was widely available in Sweden. • The Scandia Water Tower Barn endured for over 100 years. If reconstructed and restored, it would be an example of a rare building type from 19th century rural America. Deconstruction of the Scandia Water Tower, left, revealed frost box construction. Instructions from an early 1900s Aermotor and a catalog on how to build a frost box, right. 3 Proposal SHA proposes to use the existing salvaged materials and limited new materials as needed to re-erect the east section of the Water Tower Barn (including the tower) as illustrated below to provide the required “structure” to allow the National Register designation. This will either be through a Part 1 application for Historic Tax Credits or a formal National Register Nomination through Minnesota SHPO. This first portion of the project – Phase 1 – will re-erect the basic timber frame structure. The opening for the balloon- framed west section of the building will be covered with a temporary interpretation panel that will illustrate the full master plan for rehabilitation and interpretation. See the table below for proposed elements included in each phase. Phase 2 will include the building rehabilitation and historic Aermotor equipment installation to demonstrate the technological significance of the property. The tankhouse engineering will use “in-kind” (as described by Denis Gardner) historic parts, including the windmill, wood water tank, hand pump, pump rod and wood pipes. For the in-kind tankhouse technology, we propose a self-oiling Aermotor windmill (introduced in 1915) and a wood water tank matching the Aermotor design. Research supports the idea that a self-oiling model was the last windmill version on the building. The self-oiling version eliminated the requirement for someone to climb dangerously high to manually oil the system and was almost universally installed after its introduction. In order to initiate the search for in-kind technology, agreement on the specific historic windmill for this project is important. Roise’s report indicates that, over time, multiple types of windmills were likely used on the Water Tower Barn. Akin to restored and re-erected historic truss bridges that have moved sites but still retain their engineering significance, a functional windmill in the rebuilt barn using historic materials will retain its engineering significance on this new site. Previous SHPO Guidance and Treatment Oversight Previous conversations with SHPO in 2020 and 2021 gave guidance that this project should be labeled as a “reconstruction/restoration-minded rehabilitation.” With this guidance, the focus for the full project will use rehabilitation as the overarching treatment. But for a few specific elements that need a bit more clarity, re-erection and restoration guidance will be referenced. The following are the components of construction proposed for each phase of the project: 4 PHASE 1: Pre-designation PHASE 2: Post-Designation or Post-Part 1 Certification (to be reviewed during Part 2 application process with SHPO) Sighting and orientation to the adjacent road (Olinda) to approximate the historic siting 2 blocks north in the Scandia Village Center Interior siding -- primarily original cedar material Perimeter foundation and post supports Barn Doors and west section hay loft door (original material) Timber-frame structure of the original East Section Substantial salvaged timbers are available. New timbers will match the original. Well, windmill and wood water tank, plus associated water pumping and piping to allow a fully functional engineering demonstration Restored water tower using matching materials based on observational and photographic evidence Exterior siding for remainder of the building (wood lap siding) New trim, fascia, and rafter tails to match the original, based on observational and photographic evidence Roofing – cedar shake or matching composite Ice and water shield roof (black color) Flooring: Ground level to be stained concrete to mimic original dirt floor New door and windows to match the original, based on observational and photographic evidence Installing rock wool insulation and vapor barrier in-between exterior sheathing and interior siding. Installing rigid insulation atop roof sheathing before roofing is installed. Historic siding on the westward and southward facing walls (easily viewable from Olinda Trail). Temporary siding on the north and east walls with historical displays. Substantial salvaged siding is available. New siding will match the original. Rebuilding the one-story balloon-framed structure, with sliding glass panels behind the original barn doors and windows to match the original based on observational and photographic evidence Temporary interpretation panel on the westward-facing wall, the location of the opening for the one-story balloon-framed leg of the structure. The display will show the full master plan for the Water Tower Barn Arts & Heritage Center. Code compliant access and accessibility Original hay loft door on the south-facing wall Minor interior configuration for reuse, including code compliant stairs to the 2nd level Code compliant and required engineering modifications to the timber-frame structure Interior elements interpreting the water pumping technology Additional elements to meet building codes Proposed Timeline October-December 2023: Historic Tax Credit Application Part 1 and/or N.R. Nomination – Draft for SHPO comments following initial SHPO consultation in September January-February 2024: SHPO review and comments March 2024: Final Historic Tax Credit Application Part 1/N.R. Nomination – Final response to SHPO comments March – July 2024: Phase 1 proposed re-erection/construction August-September 2024: Historic Tax Credit Application Part 1/N.R. Nomination - Submission Fall 2024 and 2025 Phase 2, Historic Tax Credit Part 2 Application Summer 2025 Entry into Grant Agreement and Phase 2 construction