Charles Spangenberg Farmstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Charles Spangenberg Farmstead
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The Charles Spangenberg Farmhouse from the northeast
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 Location in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 9431 Dale Road, Woodbury, Minnesota |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1871–1900 |
| Architect | Charles and Frederick Spangenberg |
| MPS | Washington County MRA (AD) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001570 |
| Designated NRHP | December 5, 1978 |
The Charles Spangenberg Farmstead is a very old farm located in Woodbury, Minnesota. It was started way back in 1869. The three oldest buildings on the farm, including the farmhouse built in 1871, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. The farm is special because it's one of the few 19th-century farms left in Washington County. It shows us what farming life was like long ago.
Contents
Exploring the Historic Farmstead
Charles Spangenberg's farm was originally quite large, covering 160 acres (65 ha). Today, the main historic farm buildings are grouped together on a 4-acre (1.6 ha) piece of land. This area sits on top of a small hill. Only three buildings date back to when Charles Spangenberg owned the farm. These are the farmhouse, a big barn, and a granary.
The Old Buildings
The main house was built in 1871 using strong limestone. It has three floors, plus a basement that you can walk into from the outside. This is because it was built right into a slope. The walls at the bottom are very thick, about 24 inches (61 cm) wide, and get a bit thinner towards the top. In recent years, the house has been made a bit bigger with a new section and a garage.
The granary, which is a building used to store grain, has two stories and was built around 1875. A larger barn was built around 1887. This barn was for the Spangenbergs' horses and their dairy cows. Both the granary and the barn were built using a timber-frame style. They have wood siding and strong limestone foundations. The barn was also built into a slope, which made it easy to get to both the animal area and the hay storage area.
Other farm buildings were added later, in the early 1900s. These included a chicken coop, an ice house, and a smoke house. Some of these, like a pump house from 1925 and a steel silo from 1940, are still there today.
A Journey Through Time: The Farm's History
Charles Spangenberg was one of the first settlers in the Woodbury area. He officially owned the 160 acres (65 ha) of land in 1869. Charles and his brother Frederick started building the house together. They got the limestone from cliffs overlooking the Mississippi River. They used horses and a special sled called a stone-boat to move the heavy stones. Charles and his family actually lived in the house's foundation until the rest of the house was finished in 1871!
The Spangenberg Family
The Spangenbergs mostly grew potatoes and grain on their farm. These were common crops for farms in that area at the time. The farm stayed in the Spangenberg family until 1901.
The Czikalla Family and Beyond
In 1901, the farm was sold to the Czikalla family. They added more buildings to the farm. The Czikallas also changed what they farmed, focusing more on dairy farming. This meant they raised cows to produce milk.
The Czikalla family owned the farm for over 100 years! It was sold again in 2008 at an auction. The new owners have been working to carefully fix up the oldest part of the house. They are also making some of the newer additions, built by the Czikallas, even better.
