HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-23-03
City of Farmington
325 Oak Street
Farmington, MN 55024
Mission Statement
Through teamwork and cooperation,
the City of Farmington provides quality
services that preserve our proud past and
foster a promising future,
AGENDA
HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
October 23, 2003
6:00 P.M.
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1. Call to order
2. Approval of agenda
3. Approval of minutes of September 25,2003, regular meeting
4. Public hearings - none
5. Reports
a. Spruce Street Corridor Area - Kevin Carroll, Community Development Director
b. Rural Historic Resources Survey Progress Report
6. Unfinished Business
a. Update on Middle Creek Cemetery Landscaping
b. Update on Heritage Landmark Designation - Akin House
7. New Business
a. Presidential Preserve America Initiative
8. Miscellaneous
9. Adjourn
PRELIMINARY REPORT
RURAL HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY
Report Submitted to the Heritage Preservation Commission
By Robert C. Vogel, Preservation Planning Consultant
October 2003
This report briefly summarizes the progress of the rural historic
resources survey during the first three months of the project.
Project Objectives
The purpose of the survey is to identify and gather information about
rural historic resources in Farmington. For our purposes, a rural historic
resource is any building, site, or structure that is more than 50 years old
and located outside the urbanized (developed) area, or any property
historically associated with rural life that is located in a platted area
(such as a farmstead that is now surrounded by residential
development). The survey will produce an inventory of historic resources
that are evaluated as significant (Le., that meet the established criteria
for consideration as Farmington Heritage Landmarks) as well as an
illustrated narrative report that describes the important events in
Farmington's rural history that are represented by historic resources.
The precise kinds of information that will be collected by the survey are
described in the federal standards and state guidelines pertaining to
historic preservation. The city limits define the boundaries of the survey
area, effectively placing Lakeville and the townships (as well as the
Dakota County Fairgrounds) off-limits. The project timetable is based on
the Certified Local Government grant performance specifications, which
require that all work must be completed no later than 31 July 2004.
Summary of Work Completed to Date
Work commenced on 1 July 2003 with background research to get an
overview of Farmington's rural heritage based on previously published
information. A cursory "windshield reconnaissance" was made of the
community to identity areas and specific properties that will be the target
of more intensive survey work over the coming months. We have also
been in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office and the
Office of the State Archaeologist, as well as local historical organizations,
to discuss survey methods and approaches. Intensive historical research
is now underway to identify specific rural properties, important
individuals and groups, and events significant in Farmington history.
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Important Themes
Farmington was founded as a farming community in the 1860's and
agriculture was the dominant land use and most important economic
enterprise until the 1940's. The dominant theme for the rural historic
resources survey is agriculture, but other themes have also been
identified:
o Rural architecture and the traditional art of designing and
constructing traditional farm buildings such as barns and sheds
o The importance of the rectangular land survey in shaping the
physical patterns of rural life (for example, the checkerboard
pattern of land ownership)
o The effects of farming and other rural activities on the physical
environment
o Individually important farms and farmers who made important
contributions to the practice of agriculture and horticulture
o The influence of roads, railroads, and highways on rural
development
o The effects of suburbanization on the rural landscape
While focusing on these themes, the survey was designed with sufficient
flexibility to recognize and pursue other topics and research questions as
they present themselves.
Types of Rural Historic Resources
Background knowledge of the city allows us to characterize its rural
historic properties in general terms. The following kinds of historic
resources are present:
o Farm houses and non-farm rural dwellings, including notable
examples of historic architectural styles and periods
o Barns, granaries, corncribs, silos, and other agricultural
structures that show the history and development of farming
o Ruins of abandoned farmsteads and farm buildings
o Transportation structures, including stretches of early trunk
highway, railroad grades, rural roadways, abandoned rural
roadways, farm lanes, and trails
o Industrial and engineering structures, including pipelines and
pumping stations
o Areas of vegetation related to historic land uses, including farm
fields, woodlots, orchards, abandoned fields, and woods
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o Small-scale objects, including signs, fences, gates, boundary
markers, historic bearing trees, and pieces of abandoned farm
machinery
The most important challenge of the survey will be to winnow this mass
of old things down to a manageable list of resources that are truly
significant and worth preserving.
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