A major renovation at the Sons of Norway – Heimbygda Lodge in Lanesboro, Minn., has been completed. Perfect timing, as the calendar is filled with scheduled rentals of the building for the upcoming busy season.
The work began on the 1910 building at the end of September 2018, and it has seen many improvements and updates since then.
The Lanesboro Sons of Norway – Heimbygda Lodge and the Friends of Norwegian Culture organization, along with help from many other agencies, organizations, groups and individuals came together to make it all happen.
The building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was in desperate need of repair and badly needed to be updated. “It’s historic and it needed repair,” states Phil Dybing, who is on the renovation committee.
The process of the renovation began when Sons of Norway member Bertram Boyum noticed a problem with gaps in the corners of the walls. “I was watching and both corners were gradually getting just a little bit bigger over the years,” states Boyum. “Anything like that is evidence that something is wrong,” noted Boyum.
A grant received from the Minnesota State Historical Society was received to assess the building. Architect Todd Grover with MacDonald and Mack of Minneapolis, Minn., inspected the building and offered his recommendations. MacDonald and Mack is an architecture firm “specializing in historic preservation and stewardship of existing structures of all ages, from prairie homesteads to streamlined Modern landmarks,” according to the business website, mmarchltd.com.
After identifying the problem with the walls and other issues additional grant money and donations were received to complete a long list of identified needs for the building.
The side walls were stabilized with cables, which was very costly but inarguably needed very badly. “The building was going to collapse if they didn’t,” said President of the Lanesboro Sons of Norway Laurice Kneeskern. “It wouldn’t be many years and it would be gone,” she stated.
A historic dome in the ceiling was opened up, which originally was not part of the plan as, “That was a surprise once we got into it,” explains Sons of Norway member Darald Bothun, as they did not know about the dome until the architect found it. Having the dome exposed brings an entirely new feel to the building from the moment you step in.
A small addition to the building that was built in 1952 and was used for storage had deteriorated so badly it had to be removed. “We wanted to save it but we couldn’t,” states member Roger Bothun.
An ADA restroom was added in the rear of the building and new tile was installed in the bathroom located near the front entrance.
The building was re-wired, which was not part of the original plan but needed to be done, light fixtures were replaced and LED light bulbs were installed. New historic interior doors were purchased, which was very expensive and turned out to be quite a process in itself and was one of the last things done, according to Roger Bothun. New vinyl flooring was installed in the front three vestibules of the building, making a nice impression when first walking into the building.
The hall floor was beautifully refinished by Aaron Dybing and makes a tremendous difference in the total look and feel of the space.
The kitchen received a lot of attention with new wallboard, new appliances, quarry tile installation, and a serving shelf was refinished. The kitchen walls and ceiling were insulated, as they had never been insulated.
Sixteen new tables and 84 chairs, black in color and lightweight, were purchased and those using the hall from now on will certainly appreciated them.
There were many improvements in the basement, with one of the biggest projects being the cementing of the basement floor, as it had been just a dirt floor. A sewer line that was cracked was repaired and moved from the middle of the room to the side so as to not hit your head when down there.
A sump pump was installed, the basement floor perimeter was tiled and a dehumidifier will be installed soon. A bulkhead door to the basement was replaced and a lower level basement door was replaced with a locked door.
The exterior has had some improvements, such as a new ADA cement ramp and the front columns were restored with hopes to do additional work on the exterior of the building in the future. Landscaping and outside tiling were done and many trees on the bluff near the hall were removed. There are plans to do further landscaping work soon.
The next step will be to write a grant requesting funding to remove the exterior non-historic white paint and restore it to its original 1910 color of light gray.
There are so many people, agencies and organizations to thank for their support that it would be difficult to list each and every one of them. The project was awarded grants from the Minnesota State Historical Society, through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment from the Minnesota State Legislature, the Arlin Falck Foundation, and from the Lanesboro Area Community Foundation. Numerous businesses also supported the project. The City of Lanesboro has been tremendously supportive and countless individuals have donated to the project, both with their time and financial donations.
“We raised roughly $85,000 just by knocking on doors and asking people to contribute,” stated Darald Bothun. “All kinds of people gave money to get it restored that have nothing to do with the Sons of Norway – Heimbygda Lodge,” said Dybing.
Local contractors were utilized, including Cody Johnson with Norse Valley Construction. “He’s a great contractor to work with,” states Dybing, adding, “Cody contributed too” by donating some work, some materials at cost, and he donated some materials as well.
VIS Plumbing and Heating, Haakenson Electric, and Torgerson-Ostby Floor Coverings & Stone also completed work on the project. “We were happy the main contract was local — we wanted to keep the work local — it’s the right thing to do,” Dybing expressed.
There will be an open house at the Sons of Norway – Heimbygda Lodge on July 6, 2019, with many events going on. “It’s going to tie in with the Lanesboro 150th Celebration,” explains Dybing. The Rutabaga Brothers will be entertaining guests with their music and a play from last year’s History Alive! performance will be re-created. It will be a great day to celebrate a grand renovation.
For more information about Sons of Norway Hall rentals call David Susag at (507) 467-0100.
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