On this page you'll be introduced to historic sites in the
Nininger area. Some of them are simply interesting points of local
interest, but many have a unique place in the history of Minnesota
or have even been deemed of National significance. Each is well
worth the trip to see in person and, hopefully, this page will help
you understand these sites and the role they played in our rich
history.
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Indicates a site that is of National historic significance and
has a marker in place from the National Register of Historic
Sites. |
Location: 9965 124th Street
The Good Templars Hall, like the Waterford Schoolhouse, is a tribute to local
citizens active in historic preservation. As the Nininger Chapter
of the Dakota County Historical Society organized in December of
1975, members discussed ways in which their group could achieve
their goal to preserve history. One good way, they decided, would
be to restore the Good Templars Hall that was being used as the
town hall, and early in 1977 they applied for a grant for
restoration from the Minnesota Historical Society. MHS awarded
$2,600 which the chapter had to match. The township contributed
$1,000 and the chapter $250; but the greatest contribution came in
the form of volunteer labor valued at $4,425, amounting to 590
hours contributed by 29 citizens. William Benjamin, who directed
the project, personally contributed 312 hours!
In 1858, the Nininger Chapter of the Independent Order of Good
Templars, a national temperance group, constructed the two-story
hall. At the time Nininger was two years old and reaching the
height of its prosperity before railroad routes excluded the town,
leading to its collapse. The Good Templars reflected this decline
when, in 1859, financial problems plagued the group, causing the
sale of the hall to the local school district.
In the late 1870s when the first floor of the hall was removed
due to decay, the top floor was lowered in its place, making it a
one story building. It functioned in this diminutive state as a
school until 1949 when the Hastings school district consolidated.
Sold, but later repurchased, by the town for the town hall in early
1950s, the Good Templars Hall acquired new asphalt fiber siding
over the wood lap and columns which had characterized the
building.
When the Nininger Chapter of the Dakota County Historical
Society began restoration, they removed the asphalt siding and
replaced the deteriorated shingles with new cedar shingles. They
also rebuilt the corner columns (in the Greek Revival style) which
were visible on an early picture of the building. Six pane windows
were installed and the soffet returns were reconstructed.
The building is the only remaining structure from the original
town of Nininger. In February of 1980 it was placed on the National
Register. It still serves as a town hall and community center for
Nininger residents.
If you know of a local site in this area that you feel should be
acknowledged for its historic significance we'd love to hear about
it or help you to investigate and document the site. Please contact
the us at:
Dakota County Historical Society
130 Third Avenue North
South Saint Paul, MN 55075
| Telephone: 651/552-7548 |
Fax:
651/552-7265
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