Delano Village Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Delano Village Hall
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Delano Village Hall from the southeast
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 140 Bridge Avenue East, Delano, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1888 |
| Architect | E.J. Swedebalk and Swan Erickson |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| MPS | Wright County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001264 |
| Designated NRHP | December 11, 1979 |
The original Delano Village Hall is a really old and important building in Delano, Minnesota. It was built way back in 1888! For a long time, it was the main place where the town's government worked. It also housed the police and fire departments, and even a public library. The big hall upstairs was used for all sorts of fun events, like dances and meetings. Today, this historic building is being turned into the Delano Heritage Center, a place to learn about the town's past. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 because of its cool architecture and its role in the town's history.
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What Does Delano Village Hall Look Like?
The Delano Village Hall is a two-story building made of brick. It's shaped like a rectangle. It also has a tall tower on one corner that goes up to a third story. This tower was added a little later.
Even though it doesn't have one specific building style, you can see parts of a style called Romanesque Revival. This means it has cool arched windows and doorways. Some windows are grouped together inside curved arch shapes. The top edge of the roof, called a parapet, is also nicely decorated.
The front of the building used to have big doors for the fire trucks. These doors were filled in with bricks later on. But in 2010, the city got money to make them look more like they did when the building was first built.
How Did Delano Village Hall Start?
The town of Delano officially became a "village" in 1876. About ten years later, people in the community really wanted a special building for their town government. So, on September 12, 1887, they held a special vote.
The town council then found a great spot for the building. They bought bricks from a local brickmaker. On March 13, 1888, they hired E.J. Swedebalk and Swan Erickson to build it for $3,524. That summer, even before it was finished, the building hosted a dance on Independence Day! It was fully completed by August 24, 1888.
What Was the Upstairs Hall Used For?
The big meeting hall upstairs was a very busy place! It was used for many public and private events. People held meetings, dances, and church dinners there. School graduations and wedding receptions also took place in the hall. Believe it or not, they even played basketball games there! At least one funeral was held in the hall too.
In 1890, a stage was added to the upstairs hall for plays and performances. Dressing rooms were added a year later in 1891.
Changes Over the Years
In 1896, the town government added the corner tower. This tower was a belfry, which means it held a bell for the fire department to ring as an alarm. More jail cells were put in the building in 1905.
In 1940, the building started offering even more services when a public library was added. Over the years, the inside of the building changed to fit new needs. For example, the stage and dressing rooms were eventually removed. This made space for a kitchen and indoor restrooms.
Later Years and New Purpose
In 1972, the fire department moved to its own brand-new building. The library then took over the space the fire department used to have. Even in 1978, when the building was nominated to the National Register, it was still being used for many of its original government and community purposes.
However, as new buildings were built in other parts of town, people used the old village hall less and less. Delano's government offices are now in a modern building across the street. The library also moved to a different building in 2004.
Today, the Delano Franklin Historical Society is working hard to fix up the building. They want to turn it into a heritage center. This will be a place where people can learn about Delano's history and hold special events once again!
