National Register of Historic Places

Lakewood Memorial Chapel

It never ceases to amaze me…the chapel at Lakewood Cemetery, on Lake Bde Maka Ska (previously Lake Calhoun). My paternal grandparents, and a beloved aunt, are buried in this picturesque cemetery. That is how I discovered the chapel. I didn’t know about it before I went to the cemetery to see the family graves. Since my discovery, I do visit the chapel occasionally, and often bring friends or out-of-town guests there, if they have not seen the stunning chapel.

The cemetery itself seems like an extra special place. Two Hundred and Fifty acres of mature trees, lush grass, and rolling hills with magnificent tombstones and monuments. I learned on my last visit, the grounds of the cemetery are an accredited arboretum. I would assume my grandparents chose to lie in rest at this cemetery because of its beauty and proximity to a city lake. I know my grandmother loved the water, as do I. And as did Auntie Ag.

The Memorial Chapel was completed in 1910. It is the centerpiece of the cemetery. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is a work of art; an excellent example of Byzantine mosaic art. I’m not sure why more attention isn’t given to this edifice. It is said, if this chapel were in Europe, thousands would visit it.

“The dome is 40 feet high and ringed with 24 stained glass windows, set in copper and serves as a sundial. Twelve angels adorn the door, relating to the Old Testament’s 12 sons of Jacob, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 gates to the Holy City and the 12 disciples of Christ in the New Testament.” There is a lot of symbolism within the artwork, explained in the brochure.

A zoomed-in image of one of twelve angels in the dome…all small mosaic tiles.

The chapel at Lakewood Cemetery is open to the public daily, when not reserved for special events, such as weddings or funerals. When we were there with our son and his family recently, there was a sound check going on so it was closed to the public, however a woman came over to us and said if we kept silent, she would open the doors so we could peak into the chapel to see the magnificent dome, its amazing walls, and its beautiful mosaic.

From the brochure:

"In 1906, Lakewood’s trustees formed a committee to guide the chapel development and solicit design concepts from leading architects.

In 1908 the Lakewood Building committee hired Harry Wild Jones, a prominent Minneapolis architect.

In 1909 the Lakewood Board of Trustees commissioned New York interior designer Charles Lamb to design the interior. He suggested a Byzantine mosaic design based on the interior of the San Marco Cathedral in Venice.

Lamb traveled to Rome to enlist six of Italy’s most accomplished mosaic artists, who had just completed a project at the Vatican. In Venice they created more than 10 million mosaic pieces, from marble, stone and glass fused with gold and silver [for the Lakewood Memorial Chapel].

The tiles, no larger than a fingernail, were attached to gummed cloth and shipped to Minneapolis. The artist themselves arrived in the summer of 1909 and painstakingly assembled the masterpiece inside the chapel."

The chapel was completed in 1910.

“The alcove at the front of the chapel is lined with entwined mosaic olive trees, whose fruit is known for healing properties.”

Today the chapel stands virtually unchanged in appearance from the day it was completed.

One of four large mosaic figures that represent the virtues of Love, Hope, Memory and Faith. They adorn the side walls below the dome. This particular figure is “Hope”.

If I lived close to this impressive – dazzling – spectacular chapel, I’m confident I would find myself visiting more frequently, just sitting inside and being still.

Copper doors and mosaic tiles and lots of detail are in this architectural masterpiece.

Be still and know that I am God.  
Psalm 46:10

Steensland Hall

The St. Olaf College campus is a beautiful place to walk. It has lots of sidewalks, mature trees and magnificent buildings to look at. I took a walk up there last week, planning to stop in at a holiday open house in the newly renovated (well, two years ago now) Steensland Hall.

Steensland Library (now Hall) was built on St. Olaf Campus in 1902. It was the third building to be built on campus. Old Main was the first in 1877, then the Ytterboe Dorm (originally called Men’s Dormitory) was built in 1901. Ytterboe was torn down to make room for the student center, Buntrock Commons, which opened in 1999. Both Old Main and the Steensland Hall are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Old Main, the first building built on St. Olaf campus – built in 1877.

Steensland Hall, a smaller, quaint, Neoclassical Revival-style building was built close to Old Main. It began as a library then morphed into several purposes over the years, after a new, larger library was built. Then, the Steensland library sat vacant from 2001 until its renovation in 2021.

An old card catalog sits in the lower level. It has the original library cards in it, but is no longer used.

It was renovated to house the Hong Kirekegaard Library…the largest collection of books (outside of Denmark) by and about the Danish philosopher Søren Kirekegaard. Scholars come to St. Olaf to do their research here, since the books cannot be checked out. The lower level provides cubicles for visiting scholars.

When I walked through the door, I was greeted by a former acquaintance from when I worked up on the hill. Her first words were, “There’s a blast from the past.” I smiled, and she took me on a tour.

Upstairs, which is the entry level, there are a couple of offices, many bookshelves, and a big round oak table in the middle, welcoming people to come and sit a spell, and enjoy the charming and inviting space.

The building has lots of windows, so it’s very light and bright inside. There is a beautiful glass dome in the ceiling which was damaged in the infamous 2006 hailstorm, but the restorer was able to find the original glass provider and acquire more glass to repair the dome.

The classroom in the lower level of Steensland Hall.

Of course, the building is now all up to code. There is an elevator, and a handicap assessable bathroom on the lower level, in addition to the work area cubicles, a classroom, and a small kitchen.

Student workers put together this creative tree from books, for the holiday open house.

I was glad to finally have a chance to go inside and see this small, little building that has so much character.

And I enjoyed a Christmas cookie too.

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

Recently on a road trip to Dubuque, my friend and I decided to begin our day in church. St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, built in 1896, is on the National Register of Historical Places for its architecture, its history in the region, and its Tiffany glass. We were interested in seeing the Tiffany glass.

Louis C. Tiffany (1848-1933) was a world renown artist. He created his own unique glass, which he used to make spectacular windows, lamps and more.

A classic Tiffany iris, as part of one window.

His windows are made of multi-layers of glass, with iridescence/opulence qualities and deep, rich colors.

“Tiffany believed that this new material (his new creation and technique) … enabled form to be defined by the glass itself rather than by painting onto the glass.” The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

There is much to learn about this artist’s glass and his magnificent works. Click here for more information: Tiffany Glass.

To see this display of Tiffany windows in St. Luke’s was a treat. The church is open to the public for viewing the Tiffany windows during the week, and offers weekly church services on Sunday.

There was a short 11-minute video clip we watched as we sat surrounded by these beautiful glass windows.

The windows had been meticulously restored a few years ago at the cost of $40,000 per window.

This is one of the three Tiffany lamps in the church.

There were also three Tiffany glass chandeliers in the church. There were even Tiffany glass windows in the restrooms!

In the Midwest, there are only a few places that have Tiffany glass windows. We were grateful one of those places was Dubuque, Iowa.

My favorite window: *The Good Shepherd*.

As we left the sanctuary, we noticed a sign that read, “If you think our windows are beautiful…you should meet our people!”

What a pleasant way to start our day.

Nerstrand’s Library

In the very, very small town of Nerstrand, Minnesota (population 279 in 2021) there is a quality meat market called Nerstrand Meats & Catering. It has been a mainstay of the community since 1890. Attached to the market is a recently opened café called Boot’s & Lu’s.

The owners of the meat market opened this cute café serving one lunch option daily (a different option each day, of course), and has limited hours. Nerstrand also has a convenience store and gas station, a couple of churches, a woodworking business, grain elevator, elementary school, a post office. The wonderful Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is two miles down the road.

The building next door to Boot’s & Lu’s is city hall, and within city hall there is a newly created library that recently opened, also with limited hours. As I was going to Boot’s & Lu’s one day, I noticed the library sign hanging in the window of city hall was turned to “open”. I have always liked libraries, so I was excited to step inside to take a peek.

A portion of the children’s library space.

Immediately a woman came out of her office to welcome us. She was pleasant, but I didn’t get her name or job title. She welcomes all who walk through the doors, and turned on the library lights for us.

One area of the older reader’s sections.

We browsed around. There was a nice-sized children’s section, and traditional books were shelved in different areas on the main floor. There seemed to be a very good selection of books.

The boxes are books that need to be sorted.

No library cards are needed. The honor system is used. You fill out the library card that is tucked in the back of the book and leave it in the check-out basket. There is no due date, you return the book when you are finished reading it. There are no late fees.

Our new friend continued to talk a bit about the history of the building. It was built in 1908 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The city hall housed city offices, some fire equipment, and a jail.

She unlocked a door in the back room to show us the original jail cell with bars still on the window. The old fire station was housed in the building next door (Boot’s & Lu’s).

This photo hangs in the hallway of Nerstrand’s city hall. It is a photo of Osmund Osmundson, a Norwegian immigrant who is credited for founding Nerstrand, incorporated in 1897. He was also one of the four founders of St. Olaf College.

We were impressed with this little library in this little town…a big step above “Little Free Libraries”. Plus, we had our own delightful guide, willing to share a lot of information about a place she cares about.

A quote on the wall in the children’s section of the library.

The Valley Grove Country Social

It was a nice afternoon for the Valley Grove Country Social. It was cloudy, but no rain. A blue-sky backdrop would have been nice, but looking out from on top of the hill to the surrounding prairie and farmland is a beautiful sight no matter what the weather.

I never tire of this scene approaching these two historic churches.

The fall Country Social, which I incorrectly called Valley Grove’s fall festival, began its annual affair with a two-day event in 1995. Back then it was a local artist’s exhibit in the two churches. Various fall events took place during the ensuing years, all with different names.

This photo was taken in fall of 2020, when the sky was blue. We visit Valley Grove many times throughout the year. It’s one of my favorite places.

It wasn’t until 2002 that it officially became titled the annual “Valley Grove Country Social”, held the third weekend in September. It Is a fundraiser, and chance for folks to enjoy the area, and to learn about this very special place…two churches, a cemetery, and 52 acres of restored prairie.

A beautiful view, no matter what the weather.

This year there were a few artist’s works displayed, but it mostly was a time for joining in on two walks; a cemetery story tour led by Jeff Sauve a local historian and author, and/or a prairie walk.

Plus, both churches were open to explore. They are both on the National Register of Historic Places. Refreshments were for sale in the 1862 stone church with photo books on display, and a few artist gifts available to buy. There was four exquisite tapestries (see below) hanging on the walls.

The bell tower on the 1894 wooden church. The bell weighing 1,433 pounds was moved from the stone church to the wood church when it was built in 1894. Using a pulley system with rope and horse power, the bell never touched the ground as it was transferred from one church to the other.

There was outdoor background music by two different Nordic groups, recitals in the 1894 church, displays and hands-on activities for everyone, and the members of the Valley Grove Preservation Society were in attendance to answer any questions you had about these two historic and beautiful churches. The group works hard to maintain these remarkable churches built by Norwegian immigrants in the 1800’s.

There were several highlights for me this Sunday afternoon…

One was leisurely meandering the grounds, and running into people we recognized, stopping to chat…soaking in the energy of folks excited to be here in this wonderful space.

Another highlight was the cemetery story tour with Jeff Sauve. It was interesting. He’s a great storyteller!

A view looking towards the prairie from the churches…in the corner is where the beloved, old oak tree used to stand.

Riding in a horse-drawn wagon through the surrounding prairie, which the preservation society also maintains, was fun.

The horse-drawn wagon ride was popular with folks.

And, I really enjoyed seeing four beautiful tapestries on display in the old stone church.

This tapestry depicts the 1894 white wooden church, birds in the area, the Minnesota state flower and also the dwarf trout lily (found in Rice County, one of three places in the world).

Funded by a grant, a Minneapolis textile artist, Robbie LeFleur, was hired to depict the Valley Grove churches and life in Valley Grove, back in the day.

The tapestry for the 1862 Stone Church. It was common at that time for women in the area to raise chickens and sell their eggs.

LeFleur designed and created the tapestries (20”X26”) using a traditional Norwegian type of handiwork.

Nils. A. Quamman was the longest serving pastor for the congregation. According to church lore, he sometimes skied from Farmington to Valley Grove, staying overnight with parishioners.

The tapestries were made to hang beneath four light sconces in the stone church. Each tapestry had a write-up explaining the various scenes on each one.

This tapestry depicts the beautiful old oak tree that grew tall and wide in the corner of the cemetery, and was felled by a storm in 2018. It is surrounded by animals of the area.

What a lovely display to peruse on a delightful afternoon at Valley Grove, one of my favorite places!

The Archer House

Over a year ago, in November 2020, the Archer House River Inn in Northfield was destroyed by fire.

This month, it has finally been taken down. It took over a year to set things in motion to dissemble this historic inn that was on the National Register of Historic Places. It took a few weeks for the demolition to be complete.

It was a sad sight to see on a daily basis in Northfield’s downtown. The area is now cleared out, but a “hole” remains on Division Street (the main street), and in resident’s hearts. What will replace the beloved hotel remains to be determined.

Time Away

We’ve had some fun adventures on this lengthy (for us) time away from our home in Minnesota. We took a road trip to North Carolina and are staying with our son and his family. The time is going by fast; maybe because it started over the Christmas holidays, and is extending into the New Year. Or maybe because we’re visiting family and grandchildren – that is always special. I always anticipate having all kinds of time to write, but that never proves true for me. I get distracted with the days activities. We are still here, but I’m taking time to write now.

On the front porch at our son’s home in North Carolina.

Initially we had some warm days in North Carolina. We were able to sit on the front porch and drink our morning coffee, and go to a park on a sunny, 75* day and play with the new Stomp Rocket.

We also had a couple warm and sunny days in Georgia, and I wore my sandals while walking along Savannah’s Riverwalk, but now a cold front has come through and it’s a bit chilly…but not as cold as it is back home in Minnesota.

We did take a mini road trip to Savannah, Georgia (a road trip within a road trip!) and enjoyed exploring that lovely, southern city. We had four wonderful days there. One, of many, interesting tidbits from our time in Savannah is from our first afternoon when we drove through the beautiful, historic Bonaventure Cemetery, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and located on a scenic bluff on the Wilmington River.

The cemetery has acres of old, interesting tombstones and monuments with mature southern live oak trees with Spanish moss dripping from them, and rough gravel roads that create a very mystical place.

This was not your typical manicured cemetery, but it was eerily peaceful in the late afternoon as we drove around.

Rod iron gates around clusters of marble and granite tombstones, large and tall monuments, cement angel and crosses, and all manner of cemetery props are within its gates with mature trees and other greenery.

On our way out we stopped at the info center just outside the cemetery where someone commented on our Minnesota license plates. He stated we’re a long way from home and asked what part of Minnesota we were from? “Northfield,” I said. And he said, “we are too!” Two couples from our hometown had just toured the cemetery. It was a fun moment.

A Weekend Away

We had a great weekend up in northern Minnesota with only one disappointment…but there could have been more.

We could have been disappointed when our camping reservations, made long before Covid was on the scene, had to be changed… because of Covid. A Jay Cooke State Park ranger called and told us they had to cancel one night of our stay in the camper cabins to let the cleaned cabin “rest” between renters.

Looking up at the Two Harbors lighthouse from the shore.

But that led us to making reservations at the Two Harbors Lighthouse B&B which usually requires a two-night stay but the innkeeper let us stay for just one night. So the cancellation of a night’s stay at a camping cabin turned into an exciting addition of staying in a historic lighthouse!

We could have been disappointed with the unusual cold weather spell for late October… the highs were only in the 20’s, but the sun was out and we had warm clothes.

From a wam & charming B&B to a cute, snow-covered but toasty warm camper cabin.
Photo by gb

With warm places to sleep – the lighthouse was cozy and our camping cabins were toasty warm – we went with the mantra: “no bad weather, just bad clothing.” We brought sufficient jackets, boots, hat, scarfs and mittens and stayed warm while hiking and enjoying the great outdoors.

The lower falls at Baptism River in Gooseberry State Park.

We hiked at Gooseberry State Park and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, and in Two Harbors itself.

Hiking in the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.

Our first night, from the Two Harbors Lighthouse B&B, we saw a ship in the night right off shore. It had left the harbor and was all lit up, sailing under an almost full moon.

Our camping cabin was in Jay Cooke State Park where there are a lot of wonderful views of vast wilderness areas and of the rocky and rugged St. Louis River. We had great meals and campfires and hiked over seventeen miles in four days.

The St. Louis River flowing through Jay Cooke State Park.

What, then, was our disappointment?

Our exciting lighthouse reservation was at the Two Harbors Lighthouse B&B overlooking Lake Superior’s Agate Bay.

The lighthouse was charming and beautifully appointed with antiques and we loved the idea of staying in this historic home.

The website says it is the oldest operating lighthouse in Minnesota. It began operation in 1892.

However, there was no light illuminating its special code out over the dark waters from the tower that night. Why? We didn’t know, and we were disappointed.

The original Fresnel lens on display in the dining room. The Fresnel lens consists of mirrored prisms that rotated around a fixed flame supplied by oil…until 1921 when the lighthouse started using electricity.

The next day we talked with the innkeeper and she said they are waiting on a new LED bulb for the lighthouse so the lighthouse is not operating at this time.

According to the website “the Two Harbors Light Station is designated as an active aid to navigation and is on navigational charts, as well as being a museum.” Apparently it’s not crucial for a light to be shining 24/7 these days, although usually it is on.

The light in the tower of the Two Harbors lighthouse is currently not lit.

We had been all excited to be “Keepers of the Lighthouse” but alas, it was not to be. We had a wonderful time anyway, and we wouldn’t change a thing – except the light bulb!

Lake Superior, an amazing blue color this fall day.

Lenora Methodist Church

I didn’t know there was a small town in southeastern Minnesota named Lenora. The name reminded me of my mom’s sister Lenore. It was a fun, fleeting thought.

Of course, there are many small towns in southeastern Minnesota that I have not heard of, but I do know the beauty of the rolling hills dotted with quaint farms and fields, and magnificent vistas in the area. It makes for an amazing place to drive around and appreciate. We spent three days in the area this week; driving around in our car and also riding around on our bicycles.

This is also part Amish country. We caught glimpses of the nostalgic scenes with horses pulling farm equipment in the fields, and buggy’s traveling along the road.

Our friends had told us about an old stone church in Lenora. Lenora is an unincorporated community in Fillmore County. A post office was established at Lenora in 1856, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1905. But an old stone church remains.

The Lenora Methodist Church was built in 1856, which was two years before Minnesota became a state in 1858.

When we drove to see the stone church we were expecting to admire the church from the outside and not expecting to go inside but alas, the door was unlocked. There was a sign in the entryway reminding people to “social distance” but feel welcome to look around.

This chalkboard sign greeted us in the wooden entryway of the church.

It was a beautiful stone structure, with a wooden ramp up to an add-on wooden entryway. The ramp was lined with huge hosta plants and there was a bell hanging on a pole on one side of the ramp and an old kerosene lantern hanging from a pole on the other side.

The wood stove greeting you as you enter the church.

Immediately inside the church was a wood-burning stove. There were wooden pews lined up facing front towards the altar and an organ.

Hanging on the wall behind the altar was a 44-star American flag. Here’s what I found out about that flag from GOOGLE… The 44-Star flag became the Official United States Flag on July 4th, 1891. A star was added for the admission of Wyoming (July 10, 1890) and was to last for 5 years.

You could tell the flag was an original; it had been repaired several times. It was very interesting to see it hanging there.

A picture of the church’s first pastor, Rev. John L. Dryer was hanging on one wall. He was a circuit rider.

Reverend John L. Dryer, a circuit rider and the first pastor of Lenora Methodist Church.

According to Wikipedia circuit rider clergy, “in the earliest years of the United States, were clergy assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations. Circuit riders were clergy in the Methodist Episcopal Church and related denominations, although similar itinerant preachers could be found in other faiths as well, particularly among minority faith groups.”

It’s curious to think about who all worshiped within these walls over the years…to think of the families that attended this church and the baptisms and funerals and many social gatherings and other events in the last almost 200 years. As the sign on the chalkboard said, “This historic building has known pandemics before! 1918 flu”

Looking out one of the windows of the church.

The lights were kerosene lanterns and I didn’t notice if there was any electricity …but apparently they still use the church for special services to this day.

The lantern hanging out in front of the church.

Lenora Methodist church is on the National Register of Historic places. It was fun to discover this church.

A Sunday Afternoon Drive

We took a Sunday afternoon drive recently, and headed down a gravel road we had never been on, about three miles from our house. The corner of this intersection is familiar to us because we usually turn right on asphalt to a friend’s house. On the corner sits an antique truck, which is always full of flowers in the summer or greenery in winter.

Continuing straight through this intersection the pavement turns to gravel and on this gravel road we had a fun afternoon of discovering new territory to us.

An interesting old dilapidated building.

Right away we noticed a dilapidated building that must have been really spectacular in it’s day. At first we thought it was a huge barn…but unlike any barn we’ve ever seen. It sits far off the road so it was hard to get a good look. I would have loved to get up close; to walk around and to take photos. It had a gabled roof on the main structure with two wings sections on each side making it look massive and impressive, even in the bad shape it is in. We wondered about the stories it could tell. It was on farm property.

Next door, a ways down the road, was a unique dome house. In contrast to the old building, this modern house stood out. Dome houses are unusual dwellings and you don’t see them very often. Our friends lived in one for years, in a different part of town.

Then we came upon a sign “Former site of Fagen”. I was very surprised to see this marker reminding us of a former town, with a history, and it being within five miles of where we lived. Yet, I had never heard of it. I wondered if the farm with the old building considered the former town of Fagen it’s home address?

Driving further we found what my husband was searching for…an old mill. He had ridden by this old mill on his bicycle one summer but couldn’t quite remember how to get there, so we meandered the roads until we found it.

The eagle taking off when we opened the truck door.

We noticed an eagle perched in the treetop as we pulled over to the side of the road to park, but then it flew away as we got out of the truck to take photos of this beautiful, but decaying and crumbling three-story mill made of limestone, with its walls tumbling down.

With a little research I found out it is called the Oxford Mill Ruin and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The mill was built in 1878 and burned in 1905 and never reopened after that. Click here for more history about this old flour mill.

It was a large mill on the Little Cannon River. Apparently it was one of 27 flour mills in Goodhue County at that time.

Continuing on our way we saw a brick silo standing solo, on the side of a road. Brick silos always look strong and sturdy and are usually in good condition. We did not see any farm houses or barns nearby this lone silo, and again we wondered… if only these structures could talk.

We did drive by many farms, some very well kept, others not so much. Out here in the country the vast fields were covered with freshly fallen snow, dotted with some drifts caused by the strong winds.

The roads were icy and the sky was gray, but it was a delightful drive and a fun day of discovery… so close to home.