Historic Properties

Mantorville

Saint John’s Episcopal Church (Hilltop Church)

Dodge County Museum is housed in this historic 1869 church.  The limestone building is a design of architect Richard Upjohn, a friend of Episcopal Bishop Henry B. Whipple.  Upjohn was an English-born architect who immigrated to the United States and became most famous for his Gothic Revival churches.  Bishop Whipple was the first Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota Territory and later the Minnesota State Episcopal Diocese.  Local timber and limestone were used in the construction of the church. Stained glass windows were shipped from England.  In the 1940s, it became home to the Dodge County Historical Society.  DCHS evolved from the Dodge County Old Settlers Association, organized in 1876.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 as part of the Mantorville Historic District.

Old Settler’s House (Little Red House on the Hill)

The house was built in 1856 by Henry Naegeli, the brewmaster in Mantorville.  It has a limestone walkout foundation.  The limestone was taken from the quarry in Mantorville.  The house was purchased by the Dodge County Historical Society in 1990.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 as part of the Mantorville Historic District.

Ashland Township School (Henslin)

The one-room schoolhouse from District #38 was completed in 1885 for $1,000 after a tornado destroyed the brick school building.  Original desks, chalkboards, and Red Wing water fountain remain in the building.  It was moved to the museum grounds in 1964.  The bell tower and bell came from District #74.  Summer school programs are held here.

Wasioja

Wasioja Seminary Ruins

Civil War Recruiting Station

Wasioja Township School

The limestone ruins of the former Wasioja Seminary were once the grandeur of the area. The school was opened in 1860 with an enrollment of over 300 students. The school was eventually named Northwestern College in 1861 and held a promising future. With the outbreak of the Civil War, many students and faculty were pulled from the school to volunteer for the Union Army. The school changed hands in the following decades and eventually closed in 1894. In 1905 fire destroyed much of the school and the ruins are what you see today.

This limestone structure, built in 1855 by James George, was first used as a bank and law office.  In 1861, it was pressed into service as a recruiting station for Civil War volunteers.  It is the only preserved recruiting station in Minnesota (possibly the only one west of the Mississippi River).  In the 1960s, the Dodge County Historical Society purchased it with the help of a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society and restored it to the original appearance.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 as part of the Wasioja Historic District.  

This two-story limestone building, designed by the Doig Brothers in 1858, was completed in 1860.  It served Wasioja for over 100 years as an elementary school and was closed with school district consolidation in 1959.  Dodge County Historical Society purchased the structure in 1963.  It now also serves as the Wasioja Township Board headquarters.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 as part of the Wasioja Historic District.

Kasson

Izaak Walton League Log Cabin

Located on the Dodge County Fairgrounds.  Constructed in 1937 as a WPA project, the log cabin was used as an Izaak Walton League headquarters for many years.  Displays of fish and wildlife were featured during the Dodge County Fair.  The building eventually became the headquarters for the Dodge County Fair Board until their new office complex was finished.  In 2007, it was designated the official location for DCHS during the fair. 

Featured Video

HOPE AND CREATION, SACRIFICE AND LOSS

Click to watch a short video about the history of Wasioja Village.