National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Minnesota facts for kids

A map showing Washington County in Minnesota.

This page lists special places in Washington County, Minnesota that are part of the National Register of Historic Places. Think of it like a national list of important buildings, sites, and objects that tell a story about America's past. There are 44 of these amazing places in Washington County, and one of them is even a National Historic Landmark, which is super important! You can find these places on a map using their special location details.

A Look Back: History of Washington County's Special Places

Many of the historic spots in Washington County are linked to the timber industry, which means logging and sawmills. This industry started way back in 1837, right after agreements were made with the Dakota and Ojibwe Native American tribes.

The very first sawmill in Minnesota was built in 1839 in a place called Marine Mills (now Marine on St. Croix). Other towns along the St. Croix River also grew because of the lumber trade. These included Stillwater, Lakeland, Minnesota, Lakeland, and Point Douglas. Many of the beautiful old houses in Stillwater belonged to rich lumbermen. Over time, railroads and other businesses also helped the county grow and develop.

Historic Places You Can Explore

Here are some of the cool historic places in Washington County:

Stillwater Area Historic Sites

• Moritz Bergstein Shoddy Mill and Warehouse: This building, active from about 1890 to 1910, was used for recycling fabric and making mattresses. It shows how early Jewish immigrants in Minnesota often worked with recycled materials.
• Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Freight House: Built in 1883, this was a busy train station for passengers and cargo. It also had a telegraph office! Today, it's a restaurant.
• Roscoe Hersey House: This house, built in 1880, belonged to Roscoe Hersey, a very important person in Stillwater's lumber and business world. The house has a cool style called Eastlake/Queen Anne.
• Captain Austin Jenks House: Built in 1871, this was the home of Captain Austin Jenks, a famous river pilot who helped float huge rafts of timber down the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers.
• Albert Lammers House: This house from around 1893 is known for its fancy Queen Anne style. It belonged to Albert Lammers, who, with his brother George, helped expand Minnesota's lumber industry.
• Ivory McKusick House: This unique house from 1868 has a Second Empire style. It belonged to Ivory McKusick, a well-known lumberman and surveyor. His brother, John, actually planned out the town of Stillwater and started its first sawmill!
• Minnesota Territorial/State Prison Warden's House: This house, used from 1853 to 1914, was where the prison warden lived. It's the only old building left from when the prison was first built in the Minnesota Territory. Now, it's the Warden's House Museum.
• Nelson School: Built in 1897, this is the oldest school building still standing in Stillwater. It has a grand Neoclassical/Georgian Revival style.
• Pest House: This building, used from about 1872 to 1910, was a community quarantine facility. It was a place where people with contagious diseases could stay to prevent illness from spreading. It's now a private home.
• Point Douglas–St. Louis River Road Bridge: This stone arch bridge from 1863 was part of an early government road. It's a great example of old stone engineering.
• St. Croix Boom Company House and Barn: These are the only buildings left from the St. Croix Boom Site. They were built around 1885 for the superintendent who managed the huge log boom.
• St. Croix Boom Site: This is a super important spot! It's where logs were stored and sorted from 1856 to 1914 after being floated down the St. Croix River. It was Minnesota's first and most important log boom. Today, it's a roadside park.
• St. Croix Lumber Mills-Stillwater Manufacturing Company: This 1850 stone building was part of a sawmill owned by Isaac Staples, a major businessman in Stillwater.
• William Sauntry House and Recreation Hall: This 1891 Queen Anne style house belonged to a rich lumberman. It has a really unique Moorish Revival style recreation hall added in 1902. It's now a bed and breakfast!
• Stillwater Bridge: This bridge, built in 1931, is a rare type called a vertical-lift bridge. It connects Minnesota and Wisconsin over the St. Croix River.
• Stillwater Commercial Historic District: This area includes 11 blocks of downtown Stillwater. It shows how the town grew as a busy lumber and manufacturing center between 1860 and 1940.
• Henry Stussi House: Built in the late 1870s, this is one of the most beautiful old farmhouses in Washington County. It was built for Henry Stussi, who was important in the local milling and ice industries.
• Washington County Courthouse: Built in 1870, this is Minnesota's oldest courthouse that is still standing and was used for its original purpose for a long time. It's a great example of public buildings from the mid-1800s. Now, it's an exhibition hall.
• Mortimer Webster House: Built in 1865–66, this is Stillwater's best example of Italianate architecture. It belonged to a well-known local businessman.

Afton Area Historic Sites

• Erastus Bolles House: This 1856 Greek Revival style house was part of a small settlement of people from New England along Valley Creek.
• Cushing Hotel: Built in 1867, this hotel shows what commercial lodging was like in river towns in the mid-1800s. It's now called the Afton House Inn.
• Newington Gilbert House: This 1864 Greek Revival style house was also part of the New England settlement on Valley Creek.

Cottage Grove Area Historic Sites

• John P. Furber House: This 1871 house belonged to John P. Furber, who officially planned out the town of Cottage Grove. It shows how some towns in Washington County were already established for many years before they were formally mapped out.
• Grey Cloud Lime Kiln: This well-preserved lime kiln from the 1800s was important for making lime, which was used for building and fertilizer by early settlers. (Note: This structure collapsed in 2014, so its status on the list is being reviewed.)
• Cordenio Severance House: This fancy country home belonged to a lawyer named Cordenio Severance. It was remodeled in 1917 by a famous architect named Cass Gilbert and is also known as Cedarhurst. It's now used for events.
• Charles Spangenberg Farmstead: This is one of the few remaining 19th-century farms in Washington County. It includes an 1871 farmhouse, a granary from around 1875, and a barn from around 1887.

Lakeland Area Historic Sites

• John T. Cyphers House: This unusual house from 1858 was built with unsplit boulders, which is rare for a logging area where wood was plentiful. It has a Northern European style.
• Mitchell Jackson Farmhouse: This was the farmhouse of Mitchell Y. Jackson, an early settler who kept a very detailed diary from 1852 to 1863, giving us a lot of information about life back then.
• Captain John Oliver House: This 1849 house belonged to one of Lakeland's founding families. It's also one of the few Greek Revival style houses from that time still standing in Minnesota.

Marine on St. Croix Area Historic Sites

• Marine Mill Site: This is where Minnesota's first commercial sawmill operated from 1839 to 1888. It was the heart of the region's lumber industry and a key stop for transportation. It's now a Minnesota Historical Society site.
• Marine on St. Croix Historic District: This whole area is a well-preserved river town from the mid-1800s. It was the birthplace of Minnesota's lumber industry and still shows what life was like for both the wealthy Yankee families and the Swedish working class.

Scandia Area Historic Sites

• Johannes Erickson House: This log cabin from 1868 has a unique gambrel roof. It's a rare example of a style brought to Minnesota by Swedish immigrants. It's now part of a museum.
• Hay Lake School: This was Scandia's first school building, used from 1895 to 1962. It's now part of a museum with the Johannes Erickson House.

Other Notable Historic Sites

• Gateway Trail Iron Bridge: This bridge, built in 1877, is special because it's made of wrought iron and has cool decorations. It was moved and rebuilt several times and is now part of the Gateway State Trail.
• John Copas House: This house from around 1880 belonged to John Copas, an early settler and a leader in the community that was eventually named after him.
• District No. 34 School: This schoolhouse, active from about 1852 to 1946, is a good example of a one-room schoolhouse from the mid-1800s.
• Log Cabin (Oak Park Heights): This 1932 restaurant was designed like a quaint log cabin to attract early car travelers. It's also linked to the "roadhouse" network during the Prohibition Era (when alcohol was illegal). It's now called Phil's Tara Hideaway.
• John and Martin Mower House and Arcola Mill Site: This 1847 Greek Revival house and the remains of one of the first sawmills in the St. Croix Valley were the center of an early lumber town. It's now used for education and events.
• St. Croix River Access Site: This site, dating from about 800 to 1700 CE, has many stone tools. It helps us learn about the people who lived here long ago, how they used resources, and how they made tools.
• Schilling Archeological District: This site shows signs of human life from 1000 BCE to 1700 CE. It's important because it has rare evidence from the Early Woodland Period and shows how people adapted to climate changes over time.
• Benjamin B. Sheffield House: This 1922 log house is one of the earliest summer homes built on the St. Croix River and is known for its rustic style.
• Soo Line High Bridge: This amazing steel arch bridge, built in 1910–11, is 2,600 feet long and 184 feet high! It's known for its huge size, beauty, and clever engineering. It crosses into Wisconsin.
• State Prison Historic District: This is a maximum-security prison complex with 22 buildings built between 1910 and 1914. Its design, with a central spine and cross-shaped sections, was very influential in prison architecture.
• Stillwater Overlook: This scenic rest stop, built in 1938–39, is a great example of early roadside parks designed to blend with nature.

Places No Longer on the List

Sometimes, historic places are removed from the National Register, usually because they are destroyed or changed too much.

• Heath Summer Residence: This 1911 summer home was one of the earliest on the St. Croix River. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 1986 when it was empty.
• Minnesota Territorial Prison: The manual labor complex of this prison, built between 1884 and 1898, was destroyed by a fire in 2002.

Images for kids

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  The Minnesota Territorial Prison before it was destroyed.