Since the last Depot Dispatch in January, the depot has been busy on several fronts:
- a high level of use by diverse events
- amenities additions
- receipt of a SEMAC grant
- additional artifacts and history information
- input to City planning of the Transit Hub
Since this is such an exciting and rewarding period of the project, it seems appropriate that we share with our supporters some details of those developments below. A facet that is difficult/impossible to convey in print is the gratification and pleasure of hearing and seeing the users appreciating and enjoying the ambiance and utility of the renovated depot – thanks to you community members.
Transit Hub
As noted in the January Update, Save the Northfield Depot has a representative on the City’s planning committee to address the compatibility of the architectural features of the new, adjacent Transit Hub and Pavilion. The Transit Hub Design Advisory committee has distributed a preliminary plan for review by various groups and committees. While some of the site work is scheduled for later this summer, the current plans now project a 2024 installation.
Some materials of Save the Northfield Depot are expected to be used by the City in their construction. Those items include the remaining limestone from the original foundation; left-over period bricks for the brick fence columns; two donated bike racks; and the iron fencing purchased by Save the Northfield Depot for the Pavilion-Transit Hub area. That portion of the fencing was stored by Faribo Fence and is in transfer to the City storage.
Events
The Depot continues to be a popular venue for a variety of community events. Since January the events have included tours, meetings of organizations, a market, musical groups (includes the Depot concert series described below), college alum class reunion (many of whom had used the depot as a students), dance recital, and poetry reading (see photos).
More private and public events are scheduled during the summer months. In addition, Save the Northfield Depot is planning to conduct tours as a fund raiser during the Defeat of Jesse James Days.
In response to the various uses and increased size of some events, additional amenities have been added to those reported in January (four folding tables, coffee makers, Wi-Fi, and a TV monitor). Recent added amenities include twenty additional folding chairs (number now matches the total occupancy permit of fifty); an additional folding table; a sheet of tempered glass for protection of the desk top when used as a buffet; a podium (crafted by a volunteer); a small refrigerator; and a donated train bell (sometimes used to start an event at the depot). The bell has been placed immediately below a photo on the west wall (see photo). The photo includes an image of an engine on a turntable that once was in the block north of the depot; the engine in the photo includes a bell like the one below on the floor!
One of the musical events was a performance by Randall Ferguson, a classical guitarist living in Northfield. Randy generously offered the delightful evening as a fundraiser for the depot. He brought and played some of his extensive collection of instruments: classical guitar, flamenco guitar, and Renaissance lute, as well as ukulele, mandolin, and classic five string banjo. He also shared the history and craftsmanship of some of the instruments that date from 1785, 1830, 1850, and 1900 to present (see photo below).
SEMAC Grant for Concert Series
Save the Northfield Depot in collaboration with a local promoter of musicians, Arlo Cristofaro-Hark, received a grant from SEMAC for a series of free, public concerts to be held at the depot on the first Friday of the month from June through October. The goal of the series is to promote and support approximately 20 emerging local and regional artists. Arlo and Danielle Piraino are managing the “Live from the Northfield Depot” series which includes musical performances by two groups each evening starting at 7 p.m. Below are the dates and the artists. Artist photos and bios can be found online before each concert on eventbrite.com:
- June 2: Helen & Mikey (see photo above) AND The Bad Posture Club
- July 7: The Nunnery AND 58 Belvedere
- Aug. 4: Hemma AND We are the Willows
- Sept. 1: Luke Callen AND Adam Kiesling
- Oct. 6: Dex Wolfe AND JT Bates
Watch for our email reminders before each concert; feedback from the delightful June concert used superlatives regarding the musical talent, acoustics, and venue.
The concert series is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.
Exterior Railroad Artifact Display
The northeast exterior corner has been prepared to receive donated railroad artifacts for installation. Volunteers removed the sod and soil and laid landscaping cloth. Members of a high school class volunteered to haul and spread the rocks that had been delivered in the parking area (see photos below).
The railroad artifacts to be delivered soon are from Jim Machacek’s “Northfield and Cannon Valley Railroad,” a private backyard two-foot gauge track. The items include the following:
- Center pivot stone from the Milwaukee Road’s first engine turntable in Northfield. That turntable appears in the image above the recently donated bell (see photo above).
- Switch stand from the “Dan Patch Line” of the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, predecessor to the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway.
- Mile marker concrete post from the Chicago Great Western Railroad line that ran from Red Wing to Mankato.
- Switch “frog” from a railroad track switch that guides the rail car wheels from the mainline to a siding track.
New History Information and Images
Save the Northfield Depot was recently contacted by the family of Elmer H. Lange who had worked at the depot for 43 years serving as the Railway Express Agent for 13 years before retiring in 1970. His son, who grew up in Northfield and spent a lot of time at the depot, and grandson toured the interior and exterior of the depot, and shared stories and photos from the scrapbook of Elmer Lange’s work there.
Their information and documents address a gap in our information which is primarily about the passenger service. We have little information about the Express Service that was located in the freight house attached to the depot. The freight house could not be moved from railroad property with the depot since it was built on a concrete slab, and the walls were cement blocks. The Express Service was an important factor in Northfield economic development, and we look forward to learning more from the Lange family and sharing that story with the community.
Elmer Lange wrestling a trunk during the “college rush” in 1959 at the Railway Express Office.
Pending Projects – Volunteers Needed
- Bird Spikes. Not all of the bird spikes were installed on the depot brackets early in the project, and the birds are taking advantage of that! Since those of us who did install spikes earlier are too old to be getting on ladders now, volunteer help would be appreciated.
- Basement Touch-up. The basement has been left unfinished until the eventual basement use is determined, but there are some possible “touch-ups/small finishing” that would help the envisioning of what “could be.” Those tasks include washing and painting the concrete walls, taping plaster board joints on the area framing the utility room and a closet, and adding trim to the basement windows. (Note: The basement is a cool, comfortable place to work this summer.)
- Exterior Artifact Display. After the display items are delivered, some anchoring will be needed to assure they won’t “walk away.” This will likely require some significant physical work.
If any of the above tasks seem like something you would be willing to join a team to complete, please contact Alice Thomas at 507-645-8482 or info@northfielddepot.org.
Kudos to the Northfield Community
As the community takes advantage of the depot as a public venue resource, it is appropriate to again extend our appreciation to you and others who have made it possible to “save the depot.” The Lange collection includes the below letter to the editor (circa 1981) from Elmer Lange (the date has yet to be determined), but the request in the message to save and use it has been fulfilled. Thank you!
