Northern Bedrock’s Second
Field Season:
The Final Week in Stillwater, MN
Historic Rev. Boutwell House (from left to right): volunteer Patrick Pfundstein, volunteer Chris Peterson, our host Brent Peterson, Jeannie Collins, Pete Bonk, Josh Preston, Ashley Brey, Zach Wilson,Ryan Larson, and Rolf Hagberg of the corps.
Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps
Reverend William T. Boutwell House
The week of October 12-16, 2015, brought this year’s field season to a close. Partnering with the Washington County Historical Society, the Crew relocated to the Stillwater, MN area. Brent Peterson, the Executive Director of the Society, worked to coordinate our efforts at the Reverend William T. Boutwell House and at the Hay Lake School and Erickson Log Home.
Rev. William T. Boutwell arrived in the area in 1847, as a member of the discovery party that located the headwaters of the Mississippi River, led by Henry Schoolcraft. It was Rev. Boutwell that suggested the name Itasca be given to the lake: a combination of the Latin words Veritas Caput, meaning “true head.” He went on to establish the First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater. In 1849, in acknowledgement of his contribution to the church, Boutwell was selected as the first chaplain for the Minnesota Territorial Senate. He later constructed his home in Stillwater in 1870. The house traded hands under private ownership until 2015, when the Township of Stillwater issued a demolition permit for the home. In January, the demolition began, only to be halted by Nicole Curtis of HGTV’s “Rehab Addicts.” They killed the engines, but not before a portion of the home was torn down. In May, the house was purchased by the Washington County Historical Society.*
The Northern Bedrock crew had their work cut out for them, excavating the debris filled home. It took two days to fill two large dumpsters. A collapsed sheet metal barn, not original to the property, was prepared for recycling and removal from the site. The family cemetery, located in a field across the street from the home, was also cleared of brush, the monuments cleaned and reset.
On Tuesday, Rev. Boutwell’s home played host to a number of local news organizations; representatives from the Minnesota Historical Society Ann Oldenkamp, David Grabitske, Barbara Mitchell Howard, David Kelliher and Todd Mahon; as well as Anne Ketz of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. The Northern Bedrock Crew and Staff are grateful for their support and for taking time to visit the site.
Host Brent Peterson and his wife Chris Peterson, opened their home to the Crew, preparing a lasagna dinner that filled both hearts and bellies. NBHPC extends a heartfelt thanks for their kindness.
Rev. Boutwell House: Preston and Wilson fill wheelbarrows with debris for removal.
Rev. Boutwell House: Collins transports debris that has been sitting in the home since January.
Rev. Boutwell House: Bonk (far left), Preston, and Larson (front) move a piano that had been left in the home during demo.
Rev. Boutwell Cemetery: A before shot of the Boutwell family cemetery prior to the Crew's work, located across the street from the Boutwell House.
Rev. Boutwell Cemetery: The Crew removed Buckthorn, an invasive species of vegetation, and was able to reset some of the smaller markers that had been buried over time. The results of their efforts are pictured here.
Rev. Boutwell Cemetery: Bonk and Collins of NBHPC demonstrate the Secretary of Interior's Standards proper technique for monument cleaning to the local media and visitors from the Minnesota Historical Society.
Rev. Boutwell Cemetery: Before (left) and after (right), the headstones at the Boutwell family cemetery were cleaned, revealing the engraved detail that had been hidden.
Stillwater, MN: Collins snuggles the Peterson family bunny. Brent Peterson, of the Washington County Historical Society, and his wife Chris hosted the Crew for a night of food and friendship.
Stillwater, MN: The Northern Bedrock crew, along with hosts Brent Peterson (far left), of the Washington County Historical Society, and Chris Peterson (far right).
Rev. Boutwell House: View of the Boutwell House from the street.
Hay Lake School & Erickson Log Home
Prior to working on the Rev. Boutwell House, the Crew began their work week at the Hay Lake School and Erickson Log Home in Scandia, MN. The site also served as camp for the week.
The school, constructed in 1896, served the children of rural school district #2 until 1963. The building sat closed to the public until 1970, when local citizens and alumni opened the site for tours. That same year, the school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Johannes Erickson Log Home, located behind the school, was constructed in 1868 and served as home to the Erickson family until 1904. The Washington County Historical Society purchased the home in 1974 and moved the structure a mile and a half from its original site. The Erickson Log Home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places two year later. *
The Crew spent a day performing light maintenance on site, including picnic table repair and replacing many of the fence posts and supports. These necessary repairs will help ensure that the site remains open to the public and functional for a variety of events held by the Washington County Historical Society.
*History of the Revered William T. Boutwell Home, Hay Lake School and Erickson Log Home courtesy of the Washington County Historical Society.
Hay Lake School & Erickson Log Cabin: Crew members Brey and Larson cut new supports to repair the picnic tables on site.
Hay Lake School & Erickson Log Cabin: (Before) The picnic tables may not be "historic" but they do add value to this site.
Hay Lake School & Erickson Log Cabin:
(After) With the picnic tables repaired, the property can continue to safely serve as a venue for public use.
Hay Lake School & Erickson Log Cabin: Operations Director, Pete Bonk, checks for straightness as the fence post is installed.
Hay Lake School & Erickson Log Cabin: Crew members Wilson (front), Larson (rear left) and Preston (rear right) work together to install a cross beam on the fence.
Hay Lake School & Erickson Log Cabin: Fence post before (left) and after (right). Replacing the posts and support logs will ensure the fence remains standing for another two decades.
Hay Lake School & Erickson Log Cabin: The sun rises on the rural school house and newly repaired fence.
Having accomplished the work goals set for the final week, the Crew cleaned, packed up and said their farewells. NBHPC is grateful to the project hosts, volunteers and supporters who have made this second field season a success.
Photographs courtesy of Rolf Hagberg and Ashley Brey.
Media Coverage
The media were very supportive of Northern Bedrock Conservation Corps and our project partner during this last week in Stillwater. Check out the links below for some of the news coverage you may have missed:
This Demonstration Session has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.
Northern Bedrock staff will continue to work with the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota History Coalition. We are anticipating a field season next summer. Please contact us if you have a project for our next crew.
Staff are also building relationships with project partners, technical specialists, and trade unions. Partnerships with organizations like HistoriCorps and Preservation Trades Network will be formed to combine the corps model with historic preservation.
We're looking for historic preservation projects for our next crew in 2016. Please contact us if you're interested in being a project partner or have project suggestions.
Volunteer with Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps
If you would like to volunteer on any of our projects or have design and marketing skills to help with promoting Northern Bedrock's mission, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact us and let us know how you would like to help.
