The unique history of the University of Minnesota, Morris and its origins on the prairie of west central Minnesota have received significant recognition on a national level. The West Central School of Agriculture (WCSA) and Experiment Station, occupant of the Morris campus from 1910-1960, has been entered on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District. The WCSA and Experiment Station is one of the most intact examples of a residential agriculture high school still standing in the U.S.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic properties recognized by the Federal Government as worthy of preservation for their significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture.
"The WCSA and Experiment Station signified a very important trend in national agricultural education that took place in early 1900s and certainly met a need for improving agriculture in this country prior to the adoption of agricultural education in public school systems," said Lowell Rasmussen, UMM associate vice chancellor for physical plant and point person for the project.
"This is a significant moment in the history of the campus of the University of Minnesota, Morris," added Rasmussen. "This recognition is a tribute to the rich heritage of the Morris campus, from its beginning as an American Indian Boarding School [late1880s-1909], to its evolution as the West Central School of Agriculture [1910-1963], and today, thanks to the foresight of the West Central Educational Development Association, as a coordinate campus of the University of Minnesota."
Alumni of both the West Central School of Agriculture and Experiment Station and of the Morris campus have provided extensive research and advisement that have been vital throughout the process.
"On behalf of the WCSA alumni, congratulations and thanks to those who made the preservation of this historic campus possible," said Les Bensch '59, president of the WCSA Alumni Board. "It has been an important part of the lives of many students and educators since pioneering families came to Minnesota, and will now remain as a legacy for future generations."
Gemini Research, a historic preservation consulting firm in Morris owned by Susan Granger '80 and Scott Kelly '77, prepared the 40-page nomination that describes the Historic District's 42 acres and 18 buildings. The document discusses the historical significance of the West Central School of Agriculture and Experiment Station on a state and national level. The project also benefited from the expertise of Dennis Gimmestad '73 of the Minnesota Historical Society. Following endorsement of the nomination by a committee of historians, architects, archaeologists and others, final approval was made at the federal level by the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C.
In response to the approval, Granger commented: "The campus is a special place, and UMM's recognition of its heritage and of the value of its historic buildings and landscape is wonderful."
"This district is one of the best preserved agricultural high school campuses in the county, and it has important associations with progressive education and research efforts in our agricultural history," said Gimmestad. "Architect Clarence Johnston Sr.'s craftsman and colonial style buildings, set in Morell and Nichols' orderly landscape plan, served the high school for five decades. More recently, UMM has successfully added contemporary buildings to the campus edges, while preserving the historic core as the heart of the University's liberal arts community."
The State Historic Preservation Office at the Minnesota Historical Society administers the National Register of Historic Places program for the state. The National Register of Historic Places is located in the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The program is part of a national policy to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our cultural and natural resources. The program is maintained by the Secretary of the Interior under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act.
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Last Modified Tuesday, February 01, 2005
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