National Register of Historic Places listings in Chisago County, Minnesota facts for kids
Have you ever wondered about the oldest and most special buildings or places in your community? In the United States, there's a list called the National Register of Historic Places. It's like a special club for buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts that are important to American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture.
This article is about the amazing places in Chisago County, Minnesota that are on this list. There are 18 places currently listed, and we'll learn why they are so important. We'll also look at a few places that used to be on the list but aren't anymore.
Contents
- Chisago County's Historic Story
- Amazing Places in Chisago County
- Gustaf Anderson House
- Angel's Hill Historic District
- Archeological Site No. 21CH23
- J.C. Carlson House
- Center City Historic District
- John Daubney House
- Franconia Historic District
- Grant House
- Interstate State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Campground
- Interstate State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic District
- Frank A. Larson House
- Moody Barn
- Paul Munch House
- Munch-Roos House
- Point Douglas to Superior Military Road: Deer Creek Section
- Sayer House
- Taylors Falls Public Library
- Charles A. Victor House
- Places No Longer on the List
Chisago County's Historic Story
Chisago County has a rich history, and the places on the National Register of Historic Places help us understand it better. Long ago, in the 1830s, people started logging trees here. This was a big industry! Later, around the 1870s, farming became very important, especially as more people from Europe, particularly Sweden, moved to the area.
Many of the historic places show how successful some people became during this time, especially in towns that grew thanks to the railroads. Around the early 1900s, Chisago County also became a popular place for vacations and tourism. These historic sites tell us about all these different parts of the county's past.
Amazing Places in Chisago County
Here are some of the cool historic places you can find in Chisago County:
Gustaf Anderson House
The Gustaf Anderson House is a beautiful brick house built in 1879. It's designed in a style called Italianate, which was popular back then. Gustaf Anderson was an important early settler and someone who bought and sold a lot of land. Today, this house is a museum run by the Chisago County Historical Society, so you can visit and learn more about its history!
Angel's Hill Historic District
The Angel's Hill Historic District is a whole neighborhood in Taylors Falls, Minnesota that looks like it's from the mid-1800s. The buildings here are in a style called Greek Revival, which was inspired by ancient Greek temples. There are 28 important buildings in this area, including the Folsom House, which was built in 1854. It's like stepping back in time!
Archeological Site No. 21CH23
This site, known as Archeological Site No. 21CH23, is a special place where archaeologists found a "shell midden." This is basically a pile of shells left behind by people who lived there between 600 and 1499 CE. It shows that people visited this spot many times to gather mussels. Even though there aren't many other objects found here, it helps us understand how people lived and found food during the Woodland period long ago.
J.C. Carlson House
The J.C. Carlson House was built in 1899 in Rush City, Minnesota. It's a great example of Queen Anne style architecture, which often has towers, turrets, and decorative details. Augustus F. Gauger, a famous architect, designed it for J.C. Carlson, who was a very successful businessman in Rush City, a busy railroad town.
Center City Historic District
The Center City Historic District is the best-preserved neighborhood from the late 1800s and early 1900s in Chisago County. It has 19 houses and one church. This district also shows the strong Swedish Lutheran heritage of the area, as many Swedish immigrants settled here.
John Daubney House
The John Daubney House in Taylors Falls, Minnesota was built around 1870 in the Italianate style. A very important early settler named John Daubney bought this house in 1893 for his retirement. It's a reminder of the people who helped build the community.
Franconia Historic District
The Franconia Historic District is a group of seven houses built between the 1850s and 1880s in Franconia Township, Chisago County, Minnesota. These homes show what pioneer life was like along the St. Croix River. It's a great example of how communities started in this region.
Grant House
The Grant House is a hotel built in 1896 in Rush City, Minnesota. It was a very important place when Rush City was a busy stop on the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad. Hotels like this were vital for travelers and businesspeople during that time.
Interstate State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Campground
This part of Interstate Park has six park buildings that were constructed between 1938 and 1941. They are special because they were built during the "New Deal" era, a time when the government created programs to help people find work during the Great Depression. The buildings show a style called "National Park Service rustic design," which uses natural materials to blend in with the environment.
Interstate State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic District
This is another section of Interstate Park with six park buildings built between 1920 and 1939. Like the campground, these structures are important examples of the New Deal work programs and the early development of state parks. Their rustic design makes them fit perfectly into the beautiful natural surroundings.
Frank A. Larson House
The Frank A. Larson House in Lindstrom, Minnesota was built around 1898 as a summer home. It's known for its connection to the local resort and tourism industry that grew in the area. The house also has a very charming and picturesque design.
Moody Barn
The Moody Barn is a unique round barn built in 1915 in Chisago Lake Township, Chisago County, Minnesota. Round barns were sometimes built to be more efficient for farming. This barn is a strong symbol of Chisago County's dairy farming industry in the early 1900s. Today, it's also a property of the Chisago County Historical Society.
Paul Munch House
The Paul Munch House in Franconia Township, Chisago County, Minnesota was built around 1855. It's a rare example in Minnesota of a fancy, late Greek Revival-style house. It's also part of the Franconia Historic District, showing its importance to the area's history.
Munch-Roos House
The Munch-Roos House in Taylors Falls, Minnesota was built in 1853. It's a rare and well-preserved example of the simpler Greek Revival houses that were common in Minnesota Territory back then. It gives us a glimpse into what homes looked like when Minnesota was still a territory.
Point Douglas to Superior Military Road: Deer Creek Section
This section of the Point Douglas to Superior Military Road was built in 1853 in Amador Township, Chisago County, Minnesota. This road was some of the very first transportation infrastructure in Minnesota, helping people and goods move across the land. Today, this historic road is part of the trail system in Wild River State Park.
Sayer House
The Sayer House in Harris, Minnesota is a large Italianate-style house or inn built around 1875. It dates back to a time when people were buying and selling a lot of land as Chisago County was being settled. It's also known as the George Flanders House.
Taylors Falls Public Library
The Taylors Falls Public Library is a great example of an early small-town library. The building was originally built in 1854 and then changed in 1887 to include styles like Carpenter Gothic and Stick style architecture. It shows how important libraries were to communities even long ago.
Charles A. Victor House
The Charles A. Victor House in Lindstrom, Minnesota was built around 1905. It was the home of one of the important business owners who helped develop their towns in Chisago County. It represents the success and growth of the area during that time.
Places No Longer on the List
Sometimes, historic places are removed from the National Register of Historic Places. This usually happens if they are destroyed or moved. Here are a few examples from Chisago County:
Aaron Diffenbacher Farmhouse
The Aaron Diffenbacher Farmhouse was a Greek Revival-style farmhouse built around 1868. Sadly, it burned down in an accidental fire on April 3, 1985, so it was removed from the list.
Chisago County Courthouse
The Chisago County Courthouse was built in 1876. In 1990, it was moved to make way for a new government building. It's now located on the Almelund Threshing Show Grounds, where other old buildings are preserved. Because it was moved, it was taken off the National Register.
Johnson Block
The Johnson Block was a large commercial building built in 1897 in the Romanesque Revival style. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by a fire in 1981 and was then removed from the list.
