|
| |
The town of Forestville and the surrounding area became state land in 1963. When the Minnesota Historical Society gained control of the site in 1978, there were five remaining original structures: the store, Meighen residence, granary, carriage barn and barn, surrounded by 18 acres of hilly woodland and flat pasture. These buildings were in varying degrees of preservation, with the store as the only structure open to the public.
|
The site was temporarily closed in 1986 for restoration work, artifact inventory and assessment and interpretive planning. By 1996 the structures had been restored to an 1890s appearance, with the exception of certain areas of the store and house.
|
The five original structures represent three major types of early vernacular Minnesota architecture: brick (1857 store and house); hewn timber-frame (1859 granary); and balloon-frame (carriage barn). Today the buildings' histories and uses are interpreted as part of Historic Forestville's living history interpretive program.
|
About Forestville
