Osmund Osmundson House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Osmund Osmundson House
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | East Nerstrand and North Main Streets, Nerstrand, Minnesota |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1880 |
| MPS | Rice County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003025 |
| Added to NRHP | April 06, 1982 |
The Osmund Osmundson House is a really old and important house in Nerstrand, Minnesota. It's a private home, but it's special enough to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a place that's important to American history. The house became part of this special list on April 6, 1982. It's famous because it belonged to Osmund Osmundson, a very important person who helped start the town of Nerstrand.
What Does the House Look Like?
The Osmund Osmundson House is in the northeast part of the small town of Nerstrand. It's a large, white, two-story house made of brick. It was finished in 1880. The house has a special roof shape called a gable roof, which looks like an upside-down 'V'. This roof is covered with wooden shingles.
The house is actually made of two main parts. Each part has its own gable roof that crosses over the other. The part on the south side (left side when you look at the front) has some sections that are even older, dating back to 1856! The north part is a bit bigger.
The windows are spaced out evenly and are slightly arched at the top. They have two panes of glass on the top and two on the bottom. The house also has two porches. One is an enclosed porch at the back, with a balcony on top. There's also a front porch that covers three sections of the house.
Originally, the house was red brick and had a fancy front porch with a decorative railing called a balustrade. Over time, it was changed to white and the porch was updated.
Who Was Osmund Osmundson?
Osmund Osmundson was born in 1826 in a place called Nedstrand, in Norway. He moved to the United States in 1850. First, he lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Then, he joined the exciting California Gold Rush, hoping to find gold!
In 1856, Osmundson moved to Rice County, Minnesota. He settled on the land where the town of Nerstrand is today. He had a big dream to build a town there. In 1877, he built a store on what would become Main Street. This street was also where railroad tracks would later be built.
In 1885, a railroad line was built through the area. Osmundson then officially planned out the town, dividing the land into lots. He named the new town "Nerstrand" after his hometown in Norway. The area around Nerstrand became a strong community of people from Norway.
Osmund Osmundson was also active in local and state government. He served as a county commissioner for Rice County for two terms. He also worked in the Minnesota State Legislature, helping to make laws for the state. He passed away in 1914.
The House's Story
The Osmund Osmundson House was built to replace older homes on the property. When Osmundson first settled there, he lived in a log house. Later, in 1861, he built a house made of wood. The grand brick house you see today was built in 1880.
When the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places, it was still owned and lived in by Osmund Osmundson's grandchildren. This shows how important the house was to his family for many years.
Images for kids
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The Osmund Osmundson House today.
