9.b Scandia Water Tower Barn Historical Assessment__Two Pines
THE HILLTOP WATER COMPANY’S TOWER BARN,
21083 OLINDA TRAIL, SCANDIA, MINNESOTA
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Prepared by
Two Pines Resource Group, LLC
March 21, 2013
Introduction
Two Pines Resource Group (Two Pines) has completed a preliminary assessment of the
historical significance of the Hilltop Water Company’s “Tower Barn” for the purpose of
exploring a possible listing in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). This
letter report briefly outlines the studies previously completed on the structure, summarizes the
findings of our research, provides a brief historical context of the structure, explains why the
structure is significant to the development of Scandia, and our recommendations for eligibility
and additional work. This letter also includes an appended brief synopsis of the listing process
and the benefits and limitations of listing on the National Register.
Limits of Document
This report is a preliminary assessment of potential National Register eligibility. In order to
complete the nomination process additional research, together with a detailed structural
description, and expanded historical contexts is needed. The work done to date provides a
backbone for a nomination if the committee decides to pursue listing. This document is for
planning purposes only as the committee makes decisions regarding the future of the structure.
If the committee desires, this document could be forwarded to Denis Gardner, at the State
Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), in order to facilitate discussion with him regarding
preservation opportunities up to and including listing on the National Register.
Previous Studies and Background Research
For this assessment, Two Pines was provided and reviewed the following documents pertinent to
the history of the Tower Barn: Greg Bergson’s “Inspection and Evaluation of the Hilltop Water
Company Barn” (2010); the “History of the Water Company Barn” compilation prepared by
Susan Rudi Rodsjo; and an article “Town Wonders: Is Barn Historic or a Hazard?” St. Paul
Pioneer Press, February 6, 2011. The Tower Barn is also mentioned in Anna Engquist’s
Scandia – Then and Now (1974) and Gebhard and Martinson’s A Guide to the Architecture of
Minnesota (1978). While an inventory form for the building is on file at the SHPO, it offers no
additional background information.
In order to further document the history of the structure, Two Pines staff reviewed the contents
of the files for Scandia in the St. Croix Collection at the Stillwater Public Library, conducted
deed research at the Washington County courthouse, and examined tax assessment records on
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file at the Minnesota Historical Society. Frank Lake’s obituary in the St. Paul Pioneer Press
(April 12, 1941, p. 18) was also located.
In order to assess the historical significance of the building, Two Pines also began gathering
information on comparable structures. This included a review of previously inventoried
Minnesota water towers and waterworks on file at the SHPO and the examination of the online
National Register and Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering
Record (HABS/HAER) databases for similar structures. Broader research on tank houses,
windmills, and waterworks was also conducted.
The Tower Barn
Scandia’s Tower Barn is a distinctive building centrally located to the northeast of the town’s
main intersection of Olinda Trail (historically Two Church Road) and Oakhill Road (historically
Boney Lake Road) (Figure 1). The gable-roofed building is constructed on a T-shaped plan and
consists of a 2.5-story, north-south oriented section and an adjoining 1.5-story, east-west oriented
portion. The most prominent feature of the building is the tower capped by a windmill support
that rises an additional story above the upper roof line (Figure 2). The windmill tower is
centered on the north end of the 2.5-story portion of the building and the building’s gable is
clipped to its north. The west façade of the building features two barn doors, and a loft door,
while a single doorway is located in the south wall of the building. The structure has been
described as being in the Eastlake Style (Gebhard and Martinson 1978) presumably based on the
flaring roof line of the tower (see Figures 1 and 2) and the decorative style of the buildings rafter
tails (Figure 3) and windmill support (Figure 4).
From the exterior, the Tower Barn appears as a consistent whole being entirely sided in matching
wood clapboard and featuring identical double-hung windows and decorative elements
throughout. However, the interior of the building reveals a more complex history perhaps belied
on the exterior by the steeper pitch of the north-south portion of building versus the wider stance
of the east-west section. An examination of the interior of the building reveals that the north-
south segment is a hand-hewn timber-framed barn with secondary elements (e.g., studs of the
gable end walls, braces, ridge beam) of dimensional lumber. The roof rafters and wall studs of
this portion of the building are formed from hand-peeled tamarack or pine poles (Figure 5). In
contrast, the 1.5-story, east-west portion of the Tower Barn is framed entirely with dimensional
lumber, although it features some timber supports.
The construction of the Tower Barn is attributed to Frank Lake, who ran the nearby Scandia
Farmers’ Store from c. 1884 to 1909.1 The building, which was part of a complex of structures
associated with the general store, supplied water “not only to the store but to a number of
residences in the immediate vicinity.”2 Described as an “energetic, visionary businessman,” who
“‘made’ Scandia as a commercial center,” Frank Lake (1862-1941) emigrated from Sweden with
his family in 1868 at the age of 6 years old.3 While it has been suggested that Lake started the
1 Engquist 1974:72; St. Paul Pioneer Press, April 12, 1941; MHS SAM 363, Roll 13
2 Ibid.
3 Engquist 1974:71; US Census 1900
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Farmers’ Store (Scandia Mercantile) in 1879 (he would have been 17), deed and tax records
indicate that the store building was not constructed until c.1883.4 Lake’s retail venture in
Scandia initially began as a partnership with John J. Slattengren, who he bought out in 1888. 5
However, the land on which the Tower Barn was eventually constructed was not joined with the
store’s parcel until 1895, and according to tax assessment records it did not have a structure on it
prior to that year. 6 With the 1895 purchase, Lake owned all of Block 19 including the Tower
Barn parcel, and by 1896 he had constructed a substantial building (or buildings) on the parcel
taxed at a value of $300.7
Ownership of the Tower Barn Parcel
Date Grantor Grantee Description
1882, June 22 Ole Olin John J. Slattengren Lots 16-17-18-19 (1.5 acres)
1894, April 2 John J. Slattengren John R. Carlson North 8 rods (132 ft.) of Lot 19
and South 8 rods of Lot 18
1895, Sept. 16 John R. Carlson John A. Mattson North 8 rods (132 ft.) of Lot 19
and South 8 rods of Lot 18
1895, Sept. 19 John A. Mattson Frank J. Lake North 8 rods (132 ft.) of Lot 19
Based on this historical analysis, the Tower Barn could not have been constructed prior to 1894,
and was built by Lake when he acquired the land in 1895. This date of construction is consistent
with the building’s style and several sources have previously suggested that the Tower Barn was
constructed in the 1890s. However, the timber-framed nature of the north-south portion of the
building indicates it is an earlier construction. Given that there was not a building present on the
lot prior to 1895 the most likely scenario is that an existing timber-framed barn was moved to the
site to form the core of the new building. This conclusion is supported by the presence of
consistent dimensional framing elements throughout both sections of the building indicating that
modifications to the timber-framed barn (including the addition of the tower and its reinforced
load-bearing floor) and the construction of the east-west portion of the building occurred at the
same time. Furthermore, timber supports in the first story of the barn bear indications, such as
purposeless chamfering and channeling, of having been reused or moved which is unlikely to
occur in a barn that is in its original location. Also stall windows within the east wall of the
original barn’s first floor were filled in and clapboarded over (Figure 6). Once framed, the
exterior of the modified barn and the east-west portion of the building were then simultaneously
roofed and sheathed in clapboard resulting in the consistent exterior appearance of the building.
From 1895 until the sale of the north 48 ft. of Lot 19 to the Hilltop Water Company in 1969, the
Tower Barn had been under the same ownership as the Scandia mercantile. In 1972, the Hilltop
Water Company had a new 280-ft. well dug within the building. The company provides water to
21 residential and commercial buildings in Scandia (St. Paul Pioneer Press, February 11, 2011).
4 MHS SAM 363, Roll 13
5 WCDB 24:171 and 23:468
6 WCDB 40:587; MHS SAM 5, Roll 15; Engquist 1974:83
7 SAM 5, Roll 17
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What is the Tower Barn?
From its construction, the Tower Barn was intended to house a water supply system. The
building’s distinctive tower was built to support a windmill to pump the well below and most
likely housed an elevated water tank to increase water pressure. During the second half of the
19th-century, combinations of windmills and elevated holding tanks were used by municipalities,
railroads, and large ranches as a means of supplying water (Figure 7). When the tank is enclosed
within a building, the structure is often referred to as a “tank house” or “well tower.” While
often stand-alone structures, tank houses were occasionally attached to homes or barns. Housing
a tank within a barn offered the added benefit of further protecting the tank form freezing due to
the heat rising from the animals housed below.8 There is evidence within the Tower Barn to
suggest that the structure functioned in part as a barn in addition to being used as storage for the
store.9
While windmill and tank combinations were once prevalent, the introduction of deep, drilled
wells and the introduction of gas, and later electric, pumps led to tank houses becoming obsolete.
Most have been lost to decay and development. During the course of this preliminary research,
no records of a 19th-century tank house in Minnesota were located and no others are known to be
extant. Therefore, not only is the Scandia Tower Barn a rare surviving example of this
technology, but it may be a unique structure within the state. Furthermore, while most water
systems are held by a municipality, the history of this structure as a private, cooperative water
system is also significant. Although the tower no longer supports a windmill, the building
continues to house a well and pump (now-electrified) that provides water to 21 residential and
commercial buildings in Scandia.
Recommendation
The Tower Barn is an iconic structure of local historical significance within the community of
Scandia. The building was constructed c.1895 using as the core structure an earlier timber-
framed barn that was moved to the site. The barn was expanded upon and modified to function
as a water tower and storage building for the Scandia Farmers’ Store.
The overall historical integrity of the building is excellent, retaining its original clapboard siding,
windows, decorative elements, and lightning rods. While a window is missing in the gable of the
south wall and the windmill atop the building has been lost, those elements can be replaced. A
historically-sensitive and appropriate exterior rehabilitation (e.g., painting and replacement of
rotting wood elements, etc.) combined with the replacement of the windmill (a fragment of the
historic windmill is still in the loft) would not only serve to stabilize the structure and preserve a
unique element of the community’s history, but make it an attractive asset. For example, in
Santa Fe Springs, California, a restored 1880 tank house is a featured building in the city’s
8 Baker, T. L., 1985, A Field Guide to American Windmills, University of Oklahoma Press, p. 99.
9 According to the 1895 tax assessment records, Frank Lake had four wagons/carriages and two horses (MHS, SAM
5, Reel 16).
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Heritage Park and interpretive signage explains the history of the structure and its technology
(Figure 8). In the Tower Barn, Scandia not only has a unique example of this structural form,
but one that also preserves one of the community’s early barns through its incorporation into the
building.
The Tower Barn is potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places
under Criterion A for its association with the historical development of Scandia’s commercial
and residential core. It is also potentially eligible under Criterion C as a unique water tower that
used a windmill and elevated tank system incorporated into a barn to supply water to a town
center.
Two Pines recommends that the Hilltop Water Company nominate the structure to the National
Register of Historic Places and undertake a restoration of this unique historic building.
Figure1. Tower Barn, View to Northeast
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Figure 2. Windmill Tower, View to East
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Figure 3. Detail of Rafter Tails, Northwest Corner
Figure 4. Detail of Windmill Support, View to Northeast
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Figure 5. Timber Framing and Hand-Peeled Roof Rafters
(Braced Post Supporting the East Mid-Span Plate)
Figure 6. East Wall of First Floor with Filled-in Window Openings
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Figure 7. Similarly Designed Contemporary Windmill-Topped Tank House (Left)
at the Harwich, Massachusetts Railroad Station, 1887
(http://threeharbors.com/graphics/harwichhistoric/harwichrailroaddepot1887.jpg)
Figure 8. Restored 1880 Tank House and Windmill in the Heritage Park of Santa Fe Springs, CA
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The National Register of Historic Places:
What Is It? What Does it Do or Not Do?
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's places of local, state, or
national importance that are worthy of preservation. Properties listed in the National Register
include districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects that are significant in American history,
architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. The National Register is administered by the
National Park Service (NPS). To be listed on the National Register, a property must meet at
least one of four criteria for historical significance, summarized below, and retain sufficient
integrity to convey its significance.
Criterion A association with events that have made a significant contribution in our past;
Criterion B association with the lives of persons significant in our past;
Criterion C embodiment of the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or artistic
values; or representation of the work of a master; possession of high artistic
values; or representation of a significant and distinguishable entity whose
components may lack individual distinction; or
Criterion D potential to yield information important to prehistory or history
Process of Listing a Structure on the National Register
The process of listing a property in the National Register begins with the completion of the
nomination form and supporting materials, including maps and photographs. The completed
nomination is submitted through the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). At the SHPO,
staff will review the draft nomination and may make suggestions for revisions. Private property
owners are notified and given the opportunity to concur or object to the nomination and public
comment is requested. The Minnesota Historical Society’s State Review Board, which meets
four times a year, then determines if the property and the nomination meets the National Register
criteria. If approved, the nomination is signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer and sent
to the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C., for final review (45-day period) and
approval. Depending on meeting schedules, the complexity of the nomination, and the number
of nominations being considered, it is our experience that the listing process may take from six
months to a year to complete.
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What Listing a Property on the National Register Does:
Helps to promote community development, tourism, and economic development
Provides basic eligibility for grants and other preservation incentives, when available,
such as:
> Federal investment tax credits (www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives.htm)
> Minnesota Historic Structure Rehabilitation State Tax Credits
(www.mnhs.org/shpo/grants/MNHistoricStructureRehabilitationStateTaxCredit.htm)
> Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants (http://legacy.mnhs.org/grants)
> Preservation easements to nonprofit organizations
> International Building Code fire and life safety code alternatives
> Federal preservation grants for planning and rehabilitation
Provide recognition to properties of significance in our past
Encourages the preservation of historic properties
Documents significant places for the future
Provides information about the location and nature of historic properties for Federally-
funded and permitted projects as well as for local and statewide planning purposes
What Listing a Property on the National Register Does Not Do:
Restrict in any way a private property owner's ability to alter, use, or transfer a property
Require that properties be maintained, repaired or restored
Increase or decrease property taxes
Automatically invoke special zoning or local landmark designation
Allow the listing of individual private property over an owner's objection
Allow the listing of historic districts over a majority of property owners' objections
Lead to public acquisition or require public access to private property
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Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants
As noted above, one of the benefits of listing on the National Register is eligibility for Minnesota
Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants (http://legacy.mnhs.org/grants). Eligible projects for
Historic Properties include:
Pre-development work for a historic building.
Preparation of a Historic Structures Report that will assist the property owner in making
appropriate and informed decisions about restoration and maintenance efforts.
Completion of a reuse study of a vacant, threatened or underused historic property.
Exterior building preservation work (roof, masonry, siding, windows, doors, soffit, porch,
foundation, steps).
Interior systems work (updating electrical, plumbing or climate control systems;
installing a fire protection or security system).
Work to make a building accessible (installing a ramp, elevator, lift or accessible
restroom).
Acquisition of a historic building.
More information on the National Register and the listing process can be found at the following
NPS and SHPO websites:
www.nps.gov/nr/national_register_fundamentals.htm
www.mnhs.org/shpo/nrhp/nominations.htm