Limestone Treasures

Limestone Treasures. . Built on a shelf of oneota dolomite limestone, Ottawa is home to six little known treasures from the past. Platted in 1853, the once thriving village has left behind a collection of limestone structures that have stood the test of time, all built between 1859 and 1870. The structures feature massive, masonry walls that demonstrate the high level of craftsmanship involved in the construction of these treasured structures. The group of seven (now six) simple, locally-crafted structures of ashlar construction are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and on Minnesota's Preservation Alliance's Most Endangered Properties list., Small limestone quarries were scattered about the township as landowners quarried their own stone for building. Simple tools and methods were used to quarry the stone. The layers of limestone lend themselves very well to ashlar construction, which consists of flat rectangular blocks of rock, resulting in very solid walls., The Patten farm house was constructed in 1863. It was the home of the David Patten family, who came from Canada in 1855. He was a landowner, farmer, and business investor. This was was owned by a sand mining corporation since 1986. The home was demolished in 2002 to clear the land for additional mining., Built in 1868, Ottawa's Town Hall was once the center of the village, functioning as a general store owned by Charles Needham and David Patten. Needham bought out Patten in 1878. Then in the 1880's, Mr. Needham constructed a new general store across the street. In 1902, the township of Ottawa bought the building to be used as a town hall and it remains in use as such., The Methodist Church is thought to have been built in 1859 and is a church of simple design. It has only one room with a gable roof crowned with a wood shingled tower with belfry and spire., At the corner of Sumner and Whittier Streets sits the Rinshed House. This story and a half stone cottage has a gable roof and segmented arched windows with chimneys at both ends. Note the larger blocks of stone at the corners of the home. This home was built by stonemason John Rinshed. He owned one of the seven stone quarries located in Ottawa in the 1870s. The Rinshed home is private property., It took the community from 1865 to 1868, to build the Trinity Lutheran Church It is a beautiful example of coursed ashlar construction with a steeply pitched roof and gable ends. Due to declining attendance, it was sold in 1907 to the Catholic Church and became St. Mary's, a mission of St. Anne's in LeSueur, until approximately 1914, when it was again sold, remodeled, and became a residence. The home is privately owned., German born Charles Schwartz built two limestone buildings on his farm one-half mile north of Ottawa, the Schwartz barn and house. The barn was built in 1874 with arched windows and doors. The farmhouse was constructed in 1875 and has a T-shaped layout with segmented arched windows. The house and barn are located on private property., Struggles for a Home , The Minnesota River Valley has a story to tell about indigenous people struggling to make a home amid a changing environment. The Minnesota River Valley also has a story to tell about the struggles of the pioneering immigrant families who eventually created one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world.