Committee Minutes
Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission
1405 First Avenue North
Grand Forks, ND 58203
701-772-8756
Public Hearing
Downtown Grand Forks Historic District Nomination
to the National Register of Historic Places
Minutes
April 5, 2005
City Hall Council Chambers
Present: Marsha Gunderson, Chair, Chuck Flemmer, Gordon Iseminger, Ted Jelliff, Ken Polovitz, Dale Sickels, Sandy Slater
Others: Ann Emmons, Mary Kate Ryan, Peg O’Leary, Audience
Gunderson called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. and introduced Commission members and staff, as well as Ann Emmons, writer of the nomination, and Mary Kate Ryan, architectural historian at the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
O’Leary briefly explained the National Register of Historic Places, reasons for nominating the downtown, benefits of being on the register, and the process involved in putting a district on the National Register. The nomination is reviewed by the local commission, by the State Review Board and by the Keeper of the National Register. At each level of review there may be comments and changes to the nomination. We expect the nomination to be approved by fall 2005.
Ken Polovitz arrived at this time.
Presentation
– Ann Emmons
Emmons described the district boundaries: from the River to S. 5th St. and from University Ave. to Division Ave. It was decided to carry the boundary to the river instead of using the dike line because of the Red River’s critical importance to the settlement of Grand Forks and because of the river’s ongoing influence over downtown development, destruction and redevelopment. The district is significant under Criterion A as it applies to western settlement in general, as well as agriculture and rail development, and under Criterion C for its architectural value, showing the progression of national styles as they moved west. There are three dominant styles in the district: conversion from wood to masonry, permanence and stability of ‘public’ architecture, and the mutability of commercial architecture as buildings reinvent themselves in response to style and economic trends.
The district as a whole conforms to what the National Trust calls Main Street Design, which is that any viable commercial area will have a mix of transportation resources, government and public welfare resources, social resources, and commercial resources. Other components are standard setback patterns and consistent, dense development.
Periods of development: Pre-1880 – No resources remaining but street patterns were established.
1880-1893 – First Dakota Boom. Emmons noted the changeover from wooden buildings to masonry and the beginning of development west along the Great Northern rail line.
1897-1920 – Second Dakota Boom.
1920-1945 – Beginning of the Great Depression, which started
in 1919 in the West and resulted in rapid migration from farms to cities. There was no building during the war years due to rationing of building supplies.
WWII and Post War – Limited construction in the downtown area due to a full footprint.
1953-Present – Modern period. Downtown experienced urban renewal, Washington Street became Highway 81, and suburban malls developed.
1997 Flood – Resulted in restoration of S. 3rd St. and many other historic storefronts. The 1997 flood echoed a story (of flooding) which had been told over and over in Grand Forks’ history. Emmons said she had no doubt that, in fifty years, the development following the flood will be recognized as worthy of preservation as Grand Forks’ response to an historic event.
Jelliff noted that N. 5th Street had been Highway 81 and that the gas station on the corner of DeMers and S. 5th was called 800 Cabs, and had been a taxi cab company as well as a gas station; their phone number was 800.
Emmons said that, following the 1997 flood, Grand Forks had followed earlier development patterns, continuing to build densely and using public buildings to try to prevent the out migration of office workers from downtown. She said that, while there have been many changes to downtown, it would still be recognizable as Grand Forks to earlier generations and that this is an interesting measure of integrity.
Slater asked if more information could be given about architects; Emmons said the lack of individual information is an attempt to focus on the district as a whole rather than on individual buildings. She noted that architects are addressed more fully in the individual nominations of those buildings already on the Register. Since the district is not nominated under Criterion B (association with specific important people) and because she was worried about complexity and focus, she had not included more information on the architects. Ryan said she and Emmons could work on including some information about the architects that would expand the knowledge base without confusing the criteria.
Public Hearing
Gunderson: I declare the Public Hearing on the National Register Nomination of the Grand Forks Downtown Historic District now open. Anyone wishing to comment, please step up to the microphone, state your name and address, and present your comments or questions.
Marlene Melland, Grand Forks – Stated that she was born and raised in Grand Forks and cared very much about downtown, that it had been the main social and shopping area of her youth. She said it meant a lot to have it nominated to the National Register.
Gunderson: Are there further comments from the public? … Hearing none, the Public Hearing is closed. Thank you for your comments and questions.
Motion:
to approve the nomination of the Grand Forks Downtown Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places and to forward the nomination to the State Historical Society of North Dakota for review by the State Review Board. (Jelliff, Iseminger)
Motion carries unanimously.
Emmons showed a few additional slides. Gunderson thanked everyone for attending and noted that from this point Emmons will work with Ryan and O’Leary to get the nomination ready for the State Review Board.
Meeting adjourned. 8:00 p.m.
An audio recording of this hearing is on file in the
Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission office.
The next regular HPC meeting will be at 7:00 pm, Tuesday, April 12 in City Hall room A101.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg O’Leary
Coordinator