Perry Nelson House
Encyclopedia
The Perry Nelson House is a historic farmhouse
in Dodge County, Minnesota
; located in Concord Township, it is approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) from West Concord, Minnesota
. The private home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) on April 16, 1982. The house is considered significant for its distinctive scale among rural housing stock in the area, as well as its representation of both the agricultural development of the county and the Yankee
heritage of the surrounding area.
, the house consists of a long rectangle with a short wing on the south side (front) with a low hip roof
. The roof and cornice
extend east from the wing to form a porch area. The structure is constructed of random-range ashlar
stone with margin draft
on the west, south and east facades, and rock-faced ashlar on the north facade. The stone used was limestone
carved from local quarries near Mantorville
.
The three finished facades have bracketed
eaves
extending around them, and plain eaves on the north facade. The building's fenestration consists of six-over-six double-hung sash windows in rectangular openings with heavy lintels
. A long wood and stone wing extends to the north. In the 1950s, the building's interior was totally remodeled and minor alterations were made to the exterior, including changes to the front porch and the addition of wood shutters
. The original design had an outdoor staircase leading to the second floor of the house above the current front porch.
, he reflected the Yankee
heritage of the surrounding area: Virtually every farmer in the township originated from New York, New England
, or Pennsylvania
. The township, as well as the town of West Concord, were named after Concord, New Hampshire
.
Nelson had the house built in the early 1870s, and it was noted in the Atlas of Minnesota published in 1874. A successful large scale farmer, he was reported to have shipped an average of two wagonloads of wheat to market every day from early fall until late spring. Nelson turned the house into a popular gathering spot for farmers and politicians that it was for a time dubbed the "House of Politics." He had carpenters build an outdoor staircase to the second floor to provide easy access so county politicians and farmers could meet in the upstairs rooms to discuss issues of the day. In addition, delegations of farmers would assemble to discuss upcoming prices and other problems they would face. The farmers would often be joined by their wives, which would add to the communal nature of the home.
Nelson moved to nearby Kasson
and willed the house and a section of land to a niece who lived in Wisconsin
. Though it remained in the family's ownership for many years, it was rented to tenants and suffered from neglect. By the time the house and farm were purchased by Walter and Ruth Buehler in 1950, it still lacked modern plumbing and heating equipment. After purchasing the property, the Buehlers spend two years and an estimated $40,000 restoring and renovating the property.
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
in Dodge County, Minnesota
Dodge County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,731 people, 6,420 households, and 4,853 families residing in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile . There were 6,642 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
; located in Concord Township, it is approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) from West Concord, Minnesota
West Concord, Minnesota
West Concord is a city in Dodge County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 782 at the 2010 census.The early settlers of the area were from New England, New York or Pennsylvania and West Concord, and well as Concord Township which surrounds it, were named after Concord, New...
. The private home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP) on April 16, 1982. The house is considered significant for its distinctive scale among rural housing stock in the area, as well as its representation of both the agricultural development of the county and the Yankee
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
heritage of the surrounding area.
Structure
Designed in the Italianate styleItalianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, the house consists of a long rectangle with a short wing on the south side (front) with a low hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
. The roof and cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
extend east from the wing to form a porch area. The structure is constructed of random-range ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone with margin draft
Drafted masonry
Drafted masonry, in architecture, is the term given to large stones, on the face of which has been dressed round the edge a draft or sunken surface, leaving the center portion as it came from the quarry...
on the west, south and east facades, and rock-faced ashlar on the north facade. The stone used was limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
carved from local quarries near Mantorville
Mantorville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,054 people, 371 households, and 286 families residing in the city. The population density was 741.3 people per square mile . There were 378 housing units at an average density of 265.8 per square mile...
.
The three finished facades have bracketed
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
extending around them, and plain eaves on the north facade. The building's fenestration consists of six-over-six double-hung sash windows in rectangular openings with heavy lintels
Post and lintel
Post and lintel, or in contemporary usage Post and beam, is a simple construction method using a lintel, header, or architrave as the horizontal member over a building void supported at its ends by two vertical columns, pillars, or posts...
. A long wood and stone wing extends to the north. In the 1950s, the building's interior was totally remodeled and minor alterations were made to the exterior, including changes to the front porch and the addition of wood shutters
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
. The original design had an outdoor staircase leading to the second floor of the house above the current front porch.
History
Perry Nelson came to Minnesota in 1861. A farmer from New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he reflected the Yankee
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
heritage of the surrounding area: Virtually every farmer in the township originated from New York, New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, or Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The township, as well as the town of West Concord, were named after Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
.
Nelson had the house built in the early 1870s, and it was noted in the Atlas of Minnesota published in 1874. A successful large scale farmer, he was reported to have shipped an average of two wagonloads of wheat to market every day from early fall until late spring. Nelson turned the house into a popular gathering spot for farmers and politicians that it was for a time dubbed the "House of Politics." He had carpenters build an outdoor staircase to the second floor to provide easy access so county politicians and farmers could meet in the upstairs rooms to discuss issues of the day. In addition, delegations of farmers would assemble to discuss upcoming prices and other problems they would face. The farmers would often be joined by their wives, which would add to the communal nature of the home.
Nelson moved to nearby Kasson
Kasson, Minnesota
Kasson is a city in Dodge County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,931 at the 2010 census. The city is located 13 miles west of Rochester, Minnesota along U.S. Route 14 and is one of the endpoints of Minnesota State Highway 57. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad's main...
and willed the house and a section of land to a niece who lived in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Though it remained in the family's ownership for many years, it was rented to tenants and suffered from neglect. By the time the house and farm were purchased by Walter and Ruth Buehler in 1950, it still lacked modern plumbing and heating equipment. After purchasing the property, the Buehlers spend two years and an estimated $40,000 restoring and renovating the property.