April 5 is the deadline for public comment on the Minnesota DNR’s plans for the Blue Mounds State Park former interpretive center area.
The architect’s proposal includes three drawings for the trailhead site that incorporate remnants of the former Fred Manfred home, along with new trailhead amenities.
The proposals are on the DNR’s website, which also provides background and a link to a survey for public comment.
Go to www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/blue_mounds/eagle-rock-vista-redevelopme....
Background
Built by Luverne author Fred Manfred in 1961, the state purchased the house in 1972 for use as an interpretive center and paved a long driveway down the hill to County Road 8.
Moisture seeping into the structure’s Sioux quartzite north wall routinely flooded the building’s lower level and created maintenance difficulties for park staff who annually ran a sump pump to preserve the structure.
The building remained a central gathering point for community author readings and live music, despite its doors being closed to the public.
In 2015 a primary support beam was found to be rotten by moisture, and mold had formed throughout the building, so DNR personnel began contemplating its future.
As part of an overall Blue Mounds State Park improvement plan, a local citizens’ advisory committee was formed to consider options, in light of limited funds.
Would they support rehabilitating the structure at the expense of other park needs, such as the flood-destroyed lake and a highly sought after bison touring vehicle?
After months of discussion and research, the general consensus of the advisory committee was that rebuilding the former Manfred home wasn’t a prudent investment.
However, the group insisted that portions of the building be salvaged as a historic reminder of Manfred’s literary and cultural contributions.
Early in 2019, the state sought bids from architects for trailhead development at the site that would make the area more functional while still honoring Manfred’s legacy.
Of eight architect firms that bid on the project, TKDA was chosen for having the best proposal for public consideration.
Save the Manfred House LLC opposes all three proposals, demands structure be saved
While the DNR heard ample feedback in 2017 when the advisory groups were meeting, a new round of support formed in 2019 to save the former Manfred home.
“Our interest is in seeing that the DNR's plans be suspended until a more thorough review can occur and all reasonable funding and preservation options can be considered fully,” the group states on its website.
Save the Manfred House, Inc. was organized in late 2019 by the author’s daughter Freya Manfred, her husband Thomas Pope, and former Luverne resident Tom Brakke because they feared that the DNR would remove the house without fully exploring alternatives to preserve it for future generations.
“We asked the DNR to support listing the house on the National Register of Historic Places,” Manfred said, “but they declined to do so. We call for a more public review of the decision process that led the DNR to its conclusion to raze the house.”
She and the group asserts the DNR hasn’t maintained the structure properly and neglect led to its current condition.
Brakke said the DNR didn’t undertake a full review of the alternatives for the house, “which would include consulting with historic preservation experts. Instead, we believe the DNR set up the process to result in the solution that it favors.”
Further, he said, the DNR hasn’t committed to honoring Manfred’s history in its recent proposals “We believe that the DNR did not undertake a full review of the alternatives for the house,” Brakke said, “which would include consulting with historic preservation experts.”
The group makes similar assertions on the website, savethmanfredhouse.org.
DNR defends process that involved ‘lengthy process of engagement of stakeholders’
In response to the group’s public outcry, DNR resource and asset manager Bob Welsh offers information that appears as a guest editorial on this week’s opinion page.
He reaffirms the state’s commitment to honoring Manfred with the new trailhead options.
“It is important to note for context that the Frederick Manfred House site is an important and valued area within Blue Mounds State Park,” Welsh writes. “It reflects the contributions of a famous American author to the community of Luverne, and his family’s legacy.”
And he also defends the process for arriving at the current proposals.
“The DNR has undertaken a lengthy process of engagement of stakeholders including a series of group meetings in the community to discuss a variety of issues pertaining to the park, including the Manfred house,” Welsh said.
“And there have been multiple communications with advocates for saving the Manfred house about the condition of the house and plans to redevelop the area into a trailhead dating back to at least 2019.”
Blue Mounds State Park manager Chris Ingebretsen also weighed in recently.
"We understand the attachment that some people feel toward Frederick Manfred's former home," he said. "However, its very unique design made it susceptible to water intrusion, which severely compromised the building's structural integrity over many years, to the point that restoration isn't feasible.”