In Faribault, one last stand for a battered pre-Civil War house

Time is functioning out on a dwelling in southern Minnesota that could predate Minnesota statehood.

Even though it has managed to endure far more than 160 years, the latest decades have not been type to the white clapboard house at 805 Central Ave. in Faribault, just a number of blocks north of downtown.

The interior has been gutted, and the encompassing ton whittled absent to the position the place you can find no for a longer time home for a driveway or garage. It sits up towards the sidewalk, hemmed in by one more household on just one side, an condominium constructing parking lot on the other, and the Straight River in back.

And last spring, the house — believed by county officers to day back again to 1855 — went into tax forfeiture.

Rice County experimented with to auction off the property final tumble, and received no bids. Now it is generating a person far more try to obtain an individual who’d be prepared to go the residence off its postage-stamp good deal. Proposals are because of to the county by Friday.

The house’s actual historical past isn’t crystal clear. Data at the Rice County Historic Modern society reveal it was probable crafted around when Alexander Faribault aided discovered the town and about the time he created his very own property, which is situated a handful of blocks to the south and is on the Nationwide Sign up of Historic Areas.

Modern society executive director Susan Garwood claimed early data list the Central Avenue setting up as housing a shop — generating it most likely one particular of the oldest industrial properties left in Minnesota.

There’s a likelihood it may also have been dwelling to one particular of Ernst Fleckenstein’s 1st breweries — the forerunner of what turned Fleck’s Beer, a longtime southern Minnesota beer staple until finally the organization folded in the 1960s. Yet another Fleckenstein making still stands in downtown Faribault.

“I think the county is hoping that anyone finds a very good use for it,” said Suzy Rook, communications coordinator for Rice County. “It really is not on the (National) Sign-up of Historic Destinations, but it does have historic benefit. It’s just the situations of the good deal at this issue make it pretty tough.”

The composition by itself, Rook explained, “wants a large amount of TLC.”

And that will call for some deep pockets. The request for proposals issued by the county, searching for somebody to transfer the residence, estimates the price of transferring, renovating and restoring the dwelling to be about $600,000.

“It could be fixed up to make a really pleasant house,” Rook mentioned, “if somebody understands what they are executing.”

She said the county board has not produced a willpower on what will take place to the home if no one particular ways forward with an suitable proposal to transfer it. One probability would be razing the construction and marketing the land — but she stressed you can find been no ultimate determination.

In the meantime, officers hope an particular person or group ways forward to rescue a piece of heritage relationship again to the city’s founding.

“The distinctive men and women who have procured it (in excess of the several years), as a result of no matter what instances, items just did not work out. It was just just one unfortunate series of situations soon after a different for that home,” Rook reported. “And, you know, specified its placement — that does not support, and won’t assistance anybody who’s interested in buying it, regrettably.”

“I know the county would enjoy for anyone to be equipped to use it. You know, could it be moved? Could it be made use of for some thing else? I believe they would adore to see that. I feel everybody would enjoy to see that.”