Mayowood district on list of endangered historic places

(Photo by beautifulcataya posted under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license)

The former home and estate of one of the Mayo Clinic co-founders was chosen as one of the most endangered historic places in the state in 2011, according to the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota.

Each year, the alliance releases its top historic sites and resources in need of preservation and advocacy.

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Dr. Charles H. Mayo created the Mayowood Estate in Rochester between 1911 and 1938.

The centerpiece of the estate is a 38-room mansion that was referred to as the "Big House" by the family. The estate also includes surrounding gardens.

In 1965, the Mayo family donated the home and ten acres to the Olmsted County Historical Society. Two years later, the state Legislature declared the historic Mayowood mansion a Minnesota Historic Site. In 1970, both the mansion and landscape were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

James Lundgren, executive director of the History Center of Olmsted County, told the Post-Bulletin that being on the list will support the center's efforts to restore resources in the Mayowood district.

Other historic places to make the list include: the Jackson Street Water Tower in Elk River; the Dredge William A. Thompson near Winona; Howe School in Minneapolis; Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center in Fergus Falls; Johnston Hall in Faribault; Mitchell Yards in Hibbing; the Pillsbury "A" Mill Complex in Minneapolis; Porky's Drive-In in Saint Paul; and St. Peter's Church in Duluth.