Ault Store facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ault Store
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The Ault Store from the southeast
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 206 2nd St., Dundas, Minnesota |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1866 |
| MPS | Rice County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003004 |
| Added to NRHP | April 06, 1982 |
The Ault Store is a historic building in Dundas, Minnesota. It used to be a store, but now it's a home and an artist's studio. This building is important because it's one of the oldest commercial buildings in the area. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on April 6, 1982. This means it's recognized as a special place worth protecting.
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What Does the Ault Store Look Like?
The Ault Store is a two-story building made of stone. It was built in 1866 using limestone found nearby. It has a simple, rectangular shape with a low gable roof. This means the roof slopes down on two sides, forming a triangle at the ends.
The front of the building faces east. On the first floor, there are three large openings. The middle one is a double door with small windows above it (called a transom). On each side of the door are big windows that used to show off items for sale.
On the second floor, there are two large windows. These are double-hung sash windows, meaning both parts of the window can slide up and down. The corners of the building look like they have decorative stone blocks, called quoins.
The Story of the Ault Store
A man named Edgar Ault, who was a local merchant (someone who sells things), built this store in 1866. He had been working in Dundas since 1859.
- What was sold there?*
The first floor of Ault's store sold many different things. You could find furniture, medicines, and other important items people needed.
- What was upstairs?*
The front room on the second floor was special. It held the community's very first library! The back room was used as an office. From 1876 to 1879, the local newspaper, the Dundas News, was even printed there.
- A changing town*
Dundas used to have many businesses in this area. There was another general store, a hotel, a shoe store, and more. But things changed when the Minnesota Central Railway built its station on the other side of the Cannon River in 1865. Many businesses, including Ault's store, moved closer to the new train station. Edgar Ault moved his store in 1882.
- Later years*
Over the years, some changes were made to the building. For example, arches were added above the storefront windows. However, these were later removed during restoration work. The building was empty for a while. Then, in the 1970s and 80s, it was bought and fixed up to be a home. Today, the Ault Store is used as both an artist's studio and a place to live.
Why is the Ault Store Important?
The Ault Store is important for a few reasons. It shows us what business was like in Dundas a long time ago. It's the only commercial building left from Dundas' original business district. This makes it a great example of the first types of stores built in Rice County during the 1850s and 1860s. Its simple design and use of local materials show how people built things back then.
Images for kids
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The storefront windows once had decorative arches, which were later removed. The building was empty for years before becoming a home.
