Cole Memorial Building

Last updated

A.L. Cole Memorial Building
Cole Memorial Building.jpg
The A.L. Cole Memorial Building from the southeast
USA Minnesota location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location4285 Tower Square, Pequot Lakes, Minnesota
Coordinates 46°36′13″N94°18′51″W / 46.60361°N 94.31417°W / 46.60361; -94.31417 Coordinates: 46°36′13″N94°18′51″W / 46.60361°N 94.31417°W / 46.60361; -94.31417
AreaLess than one acre
Built1937
ArchitectP.C. Bettenburg
MPS Federal Relief Construction in Minnesota, 1933–1941
NRHP reference # 04000530 [1]
Designated May 26, 2004

The Cole Memorial Building is a historic municipal event hall in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1937 with New Deal funding, generating jobs and revenue for a community suffering the effects of the Great Depression. With an auditorium large enough to seat 400 people, the Cole Memorial Building served as a key venue for numerous local events. From 1941 to 1967 it was converted into a municipally-run cinema, the Lakes Theater, whose profits were channeled back into community improvements. [2] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 as the A.L. Cole Memorial Building for having local significance in the themes of entertainment/recreation, politics/government, and social history. [3] It was nominated for illustrating the long-lived benefits and substantial return on investment achieved with New Deal funding. [2]

Pequot Lakes, Minnesota City in Minnesota, United States

Pequot Lakes is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,162 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area.

New Deal Economic programs of U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt

The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1936. It responded to needs for relief, reform, and recovery from the Great Depression. Major federal programs included the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Farm Security Administration (FSA), the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 (NIRA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). They provided support for farmers, the unemployed, youth and the elderly. The New Deal included new constraints and safeguards on the banking industry and efforts to re-inflate the economy after prices had fallen sharply. New Deal programs included both laws passed by Congress as well as presidential executive orders during the first term of the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

National Register of Historic Places Federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred in preserving the property.

Contents

The Cole Memorial Building now houses a senior center and a museum operated by the Pequot Lakes Historical Society. [4]

Description

The Cole Memorial Building measures 40 by 90 feet (12.2 by 27.4 m) and has a full basement, a ground floor, and two small half-story attic spaces at the north and south ends. The walls are reinforced concrete with a stucco finish, though the gables are framed with vertical wood siding. [2]

Reinforced concrete composite building material

Reinforced concrete (RC) (also called reinforced cement concrete or RCC) is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are counteracted by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ductility. The reinforcement is usually, though not necessarily, steel reinforcing bars (rebar) and is usually embedded passively in the concrete before the concrete sets. Reinforcing schemes are generally designed to resist tensile stresses in particular regions of the concrete that might cause unacceptable cracking and/or structural failure. Modern reinforced concrete can contain varied reinforcing materials made of steel, polymers or alternate composite material in conjunction with rebar or not. Reinforced concrete may also be permanently stressed, so as to improve the behaviour of the final structure under working loads. In the United States, the most common methods of doing this are known as pre-tensioning and post-tensioning.

Stucco material made of aggregates, a binder, and water

Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture. Stucco may be used to cover less visually appealing construction materials, such as metal, concrete, cinder block, or clay brick and adobe.

Gable Architectural feature

A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesthetic concerns. A gable wall or gable end more commonly refers to the entire wall, including the gable and the wall below it.

The south end of the building has a projecting gabled vestibule with a porch over the centered entrance. There is a pair of three-pane transom windows over the front door, and four tiny windows near the apex of the main gable which light the attic space. Perched atop the porch roof for most of the building's history but no longer extant was a small room serving as the projection booth. [2]

Transom (architectural) transverse horizontal structural beam, bar of crosspiece; also short for transom window/ transom light

In architecture, a transom is a transverse horizontal structural beam or bar, or a crosspiece separating a door from a window above it. This contrasts with a mullion, a vertical structural member. Transom or transom window is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece. In Britain, the transom light is usually referred to as a fanlight, often with a semi-circular shape, especially when the window is segmented like the slats of a folding hand fan. A well-known example of this is at the main entrance of 10 Downing Street, London.

A projection booth, projection box or Bio box is a room or enclosure for the machinery required for the display of movies on a reflective screen, located high on the back wall of the presentation space. It is common in a movie theater.

The east and west walls are divided into six bays, most of which have pairs of six-over-six sash windows topped by three-pane fixed windows on the main floor, and glass block windows for the basement level. [2]

Sash window Window made of one or more movable panels

A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes", that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by glazing bars, also known as muntins in the US. Although any window with this style of glazing is technically a sash, the term is used almost exclusively to refer to windows where the glazed panels are opened by sliding vertically, or horizontally in a style known as a "Yorkshire light", sliding sash, or sash and case.

Inside, the vestibule provides a staircase to the basement, a coatroom on the left, and an office on the right. A small storage room next to the office contained a ladder up to the projection booth. Beyond the vestibule the main floor was mostly open space serving as the auditorium, with a 23-by-25-foot (7.0 by 7.6 m) stage flanked by stairways and dressing rooms. The stage, with its proscenium arch, was lost in the building's 1967 conversion into a senior center. The basement originally had a hallway with doors leading to a dining room, a kitchen, a furnace room, and boys' and girls' locker rooms with toilets and showers. [2]

Proscenium

A proscenium is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame into which the audience observes from a more or less unified angle the events taking place upon the stage during a theatrical performance. The concept of the fourth wall of the theatre stage space that faces the audience is essentially the same.

Immediately behind the building is a small pump house, which is included in the property's National Register nomination.

Construction

The park in which Pequot Lakes' Cole Memorial Building stands was donated by Fay Cole Andrus in December 1935 to be used as a public space in memory of her father, A. L. Cole, one of the town's founders and early merchants. Three months later the Pequot Commercial Club suggested that the village council take advantage of federal work relief funding to construct a recreation hall on the site. Minneapolis-based architect P. C. Bettenburg agreed to the project in advance and submitted plans to the Works Progress Administration (WPA). [2]

The WPA was among several programs created by the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration to combat unemployment during the Great Depression by funding labor-intensive infrastructure and service projects of public benefit. As was typical, the WPA paid the workers—mostly unemployed local men plus a few key skilled workers—while the local government covered the cost of materials. These supplies and equipment were acquired from local merchants, further benefiting the area's economy. [2]

Construction began on April 3, 1937, employing 24 full-time equivalent workers for three months. The completed Cole Memorial Building was dedicated in a ceremony on July 1. The following year the village applied for additional WPA funds to landscape the park grounds further. [2]

Use

The Cole Memorial Building initially provided much-needed space for a wide variety of activities. The auditorium could seat up to 400 people, nearly the entire population of the village. The school used it for plays, speech contests, and graduation ceremonies. The village council and Sibley Township board met there, as did local Boy Scout, 4-H, American Legion, and Grange clubs. [2] Traveling performers and lecturers took to the stage, while community celebrations and fairs were held on the grounds outside. [5] By February 1939 the village had hired a recreation director to manage activities at the hall, which included craft and game nights, an archery club, and a community forum where citizens could discuss issues of the day. [2]

Rental fees, mostly levied on the traveling performers, were not generating enough revenue for the building's maintenance costs, however. The Pequot Commercial Club proposed converting the Cole Memorial Building into a movie theater, which would provide a steadier income. [5] The club assumed full management in November 1939 and launched free movie screenings the following year. In 1941 the hall was modified into a first-rate cinema, with new projection equipment and cushioned chairs arranged in sloped auditorium seating. The debut movie in the refitted hall was One Foot in Heaven on December 9, 1941, followed the next week by The Maltese Falcon . Over the years the latest Hollywood movies would screen in Pequot Lakes just as they did in major cities around the nation. [2]

Although tickets cost 12¢ or less for children and 35¢ or less for adults, the cinema proved to be a significant money-maker, bolstered by the growing numbers of summer tourists. The Commercial Club was able to self-fund maintenance and upgrades for the building while proceeds were channeled into community improvements. By mid-1953 the theater had generated $25,000 in profits that went toward a new medical clinic, street paving, the fire department, and local schools. Community groups continued to meet in the hall, and no longer had to pay any kind of rental fee. [2]

Later history

The widespread adoption of television finally caused movie attendance to drop, and new local venues such as a high school auditorium reduced the Cole Memorial Building's importance as an event space. The hall's final film screening took place in August 1967. The year before a seniors club had been organized in the building, and they took the opportunity to repurpose it into a senior center. The sloping auditorium floor was removed and the stage area was converted into a kitchen and restrooms. [2]

The basement remained largely disused for decades, but in 1997 the Pequot Lakes Historical Society organized and developed the lower level into a local history museum. Exhibits are specialized on the 1930s and 1940s, with displays on military service as well as period recreations of a local classroom, kitchen, bedroom, and general store. A display on the building's history as a movie theater includes original projection equipment and seating. [4]

The park surrounding the building was originally much larger, with a baseball diamond to the north, but that parcel was sold off in 1983. [2] In 2007 the historical society and the city government received a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society that allowed them to renovate the building's main floor. The hardwood floors were restored, new windows installed, interior walls painted, the kitchen improved, and an elevator installed. [4] The building continues to be available for events. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Sarasota Municipal Auditorium United States historic place

The Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, listed in the National Register as Municipal Auditorium-Recreation Club, is a historic multi-purpose facility built in 1938. It is located at 801 Tamiami Trail North and owned/operated by the municipal government of Sarasota, Florida. The auditorium has 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of exhibit space on its main floor and also contains an Art Deco style stage measuring 1,500 square feet (140 m2).

Deerwood Auditorium community center in Deerwood, Minnesota, United States

The Deerwood Auditorium is a community center in Deerwood, Minnesota, United States. It was built as a New Deal project from 1935 to 1937. In 1995 the auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its local significance in the themes of architecture, politics/government, and social history. It was nominated for being an exemplary multipurpose municipal building funded by the New Deal, as well as Minnesota's largest project by the State Emergency Relief Administration, and a longstanding venue for community events.

Cole Building or Cole Block or variations may refer to:

Community Building (Princeton, Iowa) United States historic place

The Community Building, also known as Community Hall, Boll's Store, or Boll's Community Center, is a building in Princeton, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Hartington City Hall and Auditorium United States historic place

The Hartington City Hall and Auditorium, also known as the Hartington Municipal Building, is a city-owned, brick-clad, 2-story center in Hartington, Nebraska. It was designed between 1921 and 1923 in the Prairie School style by architect William L. Steele (1875–1949).

Soldiers Memorial Hall, Toowoomba

Soldiers Memorial Hall is a heritage-listed memorial at 149 Herries Street, Toowoomba City, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hodgen & Hodgen (Toowoomba) and built from 1923 to 1959 by Smith Bros (Toowoomba). It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 17 December 1999.

Former Greenwood Town Hall United States historic place

The Former Greenwood Town Hall is located at 270 Main Street in Locke Mills, the main village of Greenwood, Maine. Completed in 1931, the building has been a center of civic and social activities since, hosting town meetings, elections, school graduations, dances, and private functions. It was replaced as town hall by the present facilities in 1988, and is now maintained by a local non-profit. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Asa Bates Memorial Chapel United States historic place

The Asa Bates Memorial Chapel, also known as the Ten Lots Chapel, is a historic church and community center at 2 Ten Lots Road in Fairfield, Maine. The Classical Revival brick building was built in 1916-18 by Milton LaForest Williams, who was raised in the community by his grandfather, Asa Bates, and was one of its major early 20th-century benefactors. It is the most architecturally imposing building in the small community, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

West Paris Lodge No. 15, I.O.O.F. United States historic place

The West Paris Lodge No. 15, I.O.O.F. is a historic fraternal clubhouse at 221 Main Street in West Paris, Maine. It was built during 1876-80 by the local chapter of the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), and served as the meeting place for the fraternal organization into the 1980s. It is also a significant meeting space for social events in the wider community. The building, now owned by the local historical society, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

Edward J. Hammond Hall United States historic place

Edward J. Hammond Hall is a historic mixed-use civic building on Main Street in Winter Harbor, Maine. The architecturally sophisticated hall was built in 1903 to house town offices and a performing arts spaces, and was built with a major donation from local son Edward J. Hammond. The building served as town hall until 1958, and is still used for performances by the Schoodic Arts for All organization. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Weld Town Hall United States historic place

Weld Town Hall is located at 17 School Street in Weld, Maine. Built 1922-26 by the local Masonic Lodge, the build has been a major community center for many years, and has hosted its town meetings since 1925. It is now owned by the town, with space leased to the Masons on the second floor. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Waverly Village Hall (Waverly, Minnesota) United States historic place

Waverly Village Hall is a municipal event hall in Waverly, Minnesota, United States, built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1939 to 1940. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 for its local significance in the themes of architecture, entertainment/recreation, and government/politics. It was nominated as a representative of the civic facilities made possible with New Deal federal assistance, as well as for its Moderne architecture and role as a community event space.

Stimson Memorial Hall United States historic place

Stimson Memorial Hall is a historic government building at 4 Shaker Road in the center of Gray, Maine. Built in 1900, it served for many years as the town's main public meeting space, and is a prominent landmark in the town center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and social significance in 1992. It is still owned by the town, but was occupied by a church group and listed for sale as of 2015. It was also listed by the state as one of its most endangered historic properties in 2015, due to its poor condition and lack of preservation plan.

Ironton City Hall United States historic place

Ironton City Hall is a historic municipal building in Ironton, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1917 to house the city's offices, fire department, library, jail, and an auditorium that hosted numerous community organizations and events. Ironton City Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 for having local significance in the themes of politics/government and social history. It was nominated for being the longstanding focal point of Ironton's government services and community activities.

Hewitt Public School United States historic place

Hewitt Public School is a former school building in Hewitt, Minnesota, United States, active 1911 to 1979. It was Hewitt's only educational institution up to 1952, hosting first grade through high school at its peak. It was also a key venue for community events, public health services, and extracurricular agricultural instruction. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 for having local significance in the theme of education. It was nominated for its central role in educating and socializing not only Hewitt's children but its adult population as well.

Grey Eagle Village Hall United States historic place

The Grey Eagle Village Hall is a multipurpose municipal building in Grey Eagle, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1934 as a federally funded New Deal project to create jobs during the Great Depression. It originally contained local government offices, a fire station, and a community auditorium. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government. It was nominated for being a superlative example of the public works projects of the Civil Works Administration.

Lake City City Hall United States historic place

Lake City City Hall is the seat of government for Lake City, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1899 and later expanded with a large addition. The original section was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 for its local significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government. It was nominated for being Lake City's most architecturally prominent public building and its longstanding government center.

Stockbridge Town Hall United States historic place

The Stockbridge Town Hall is a government building located at 101 South Clinton Street in Stockbridge, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Oklahoma Judicial Center United States historic place

The Oklahoma Judicial Center is the headquarters of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Judiciary of Oklahoma. Situated near the Oklahoma State Capitol, the original structure, designed by the architectural firm Layton, Hicks & Forsyth, was built between 1929-1930 as the home of the Oklahoma Historical Society and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Oklahoma Historical Society Building in 1990. The society moved to the nearby Oklahoma History Center when it opened in 2005. An annex was completed in 2011.

Bunnell Coquina City Hall United States historic place

The Bunnell Coquina City Hall is a unique one-story public building constructed of locally quarried coquina stone. The property is located at 200 South Church Street, Bunnell, FL 32110 in the downtown section of the city. It includes man-made Lake Lucille with its jetting fountain in the front of the building, which creates an impressive visual appeal to the setting of the property. It was built in 1936-1937 with grant funding from the Work Progress Administration WPA.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Anderson, David C. (August 15, 2003). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: A.L. Cole Memorial Building". National Park Service. Retrieved July 3, 2016.Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ↑ "Cole, A.L., Memorial Building". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Pequot Lakes Historical Society". 2008. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Bye, Karen (2012). "History of the Cole Memorial Building". Brainerd Lakes Country. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Cole Memorial Building". Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.