Cole Memorial Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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A.L. Cole Memorial Building
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The A.L. Cole Memorial Building from the southeast
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 4285 Tower Square, Pequot Lakes, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | P.C. Bettenburg |
| MPS | Federal Relief Construction in Minnesota, 1933–1941 |
| NRHP reference No. | 04000530 |
| Designated | May 26, 2004 |
The A.L. Cole Memorial Building is a special historic building in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. It was built in 1937. This was during a tough time called the Great Depression. Many people were out of work. The building project helped create jobs and bring money to the town.
This building was a big event hall. It had an auditorium that could hold 400 people. It was used for many local events. Later, from 1941 to 1967, it became a movie theater called the Lakes Theater. The money earned from the movies helped improve the community.
In 2004, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site. It shows how much good came from the "New Deal" programs. These programs helped the country recover from the Great Depression. Today, the Cole Memorial Building is home to a senior center. It also has a museum run by the Pequot Lakes Historical Society.
Contents
What the Building Looks Like
The Cole Memorial Building is about 40 feet wide and 90 feet long. It has a full basement and a main floor. There are also two small attic spaces. The walls are made of strong concrete with a stucco finish. The pointed parts of the roof, called gables, have vertical wood siding.
At the front, or south end, there is a porch over the main entrance. Above the front door, you can see two windows with three small panes each. There are also four tiny windows near the top of the main gable. These windows let light into the attic. For many years, a small room for showing movies was on top of the porch roof. It is not there anymore.
The sides of the building, the east and west walls, have six sections. Most of these sections have pairs of windows. These are "six-over-six" sash windows on the main floor. Below them, in the basement, are glass block windows.
Inside, the entrance area has stairs leading to the basement. There is also a coatroom and an office. The main floor was mostly one big open space. This was the auditorium. It had a stage that was about 23 by 25 feet. The stage had a special arch called a proscenium arch. It was removed in 1967 when the building became a senior center.
The basement originally had a hallway. It led to a dining room, a kitchen, and a furnace room. There were also locker rooms with toilets and showers for boys and girls. Right behind the building, there is a small pump house. This pump house is also part of the historic property.
How the Building Was Built
The park where the Cole Memorial Building stands was a gift. Fay Cole Andrus gave the land in December 1935. She wanted it to be a public space. It was a way to remember her father, A. L. Cole. He was one of the town's founders and an early businessman.
A few months later, a local group called the Pequot Commercial Club had an idea. They suggested using money from federal work programs. These programs would help build a recreation hall on the land. An architect from Minneapolis, P. C. Bettenburg, agreed to design the building. He sent the plans to the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
The WPA was a program started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was one of many "New Deal" programs. Their goal was to help people find jobs during the Great Depression. They funded projects that helped the public. The WPA usually paid the workers. Most of these workers were unemployed local men. The local government paid for the building materials. These materials were bought from local stores. This helped the town's economy even more.
Construction started on April 3, 1937. About 24 full-time workers built the hall. It took them three months. The completed Cole Memorial Building was officially opened on July 1. The next year, the town asked for more WPA money. They wanted to improve the park grounds around the building.
How the Building Was Used
The Cole Memorial Building quickly became a busy place. It offered much-needed space for many activities. The auditorium could hold up to 400 people. This was almost the entire population of the village!
The local school used it for plays, speech contests, and graduation ceremonies. The village council and local groups met there. These groups included Boy Scouts, 4-H, and the American Legion. Traveling performers and speakers used the stage. Community parties and fairs were held outside. By 1939, the town even hired a recreation director. This person managed activities like craft nights and game nights. They also started an archery club and community discussions.
However, the money from renting the hall was not enough. It did not cover the costs to keep the building running. The Pequot Commercial Club suggested a new idea. They thought converting the building into a movie theater would bring in more money. The club took over managing the building in November 1939. They started showing free movies the next year.
In 1941, the hall was changed into a modern movie theater. It got new equipment for showing films. It also had comfortable chairs arranged on a sloped floor. The first movie shown was One Foot in Heaven on December 9, 1941. The next week, they showed The Maltese Falcon. Over the years, the newest Hollywood movies played in Pequot Lakes.
Movie tickets were cheap, usually 12 cents or less for kids. Adults paid 35 cents or less. But the cinema made a lot of money. More and more summer tourists came to watch movies. The Commercial Club used the profits to maintain the building. They also used the money for community improvements. By mid-1953, the theater had made $25,000 in profits. This money helped build a new medical clinic. It also paid for street paving, the fire department, and local schools. Community groups could still meet in the hall for free.
Recent History
Over time, more people got televisions at home. This caused fewer people to go to the movies. Also, new places like the high school auditorium opened. This made the Cole Memorial Building less important for big events. The last movie was shown in August 1967.
The year before, a seniors club had started meeting in the building. They decided to turn it into a senior center. The sloped movie floor was removed. The stage area was changed into a kitchen and restrooms.
For many years, the basement was not used much. But in 1997, the Pequot Lakes Historical Society was formed. They turned the lower level into a local history museum. The museum shows what life was like in the 1930s and 1940s. There are displays about military service. You can also see recreated rooms like a classroom, kitchen, and general store from that time. A special display shows the building's history as a movie theater. It includes original movie projection equipment and seats.
The park around the building used to be much larger. It had a baseball field to the north. But that part of the land was sold in 1983. In 2007, the historical society and the city got a grant. A grant is money given for a special project. This grant helped them fix up the building's main floor. The beautiful hardwood floors were restored. New windows were put in. The inside walls were painted. The kitchen was improved, and an elevator was installed. The building is still used for events today.
See also
