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Home My WebLink About1976 03-31 Ostergren farmhouse may be community center THE REVIEW • Parks and Rec board to hear proposal Manic- iii/ 1v Ostergren farmhouse may by Scott Carlson "So often they(the Parkside people)feel the home be-a historical site. A proposal to turn an old pioneer far- isolated and cut off from the rest of the In addition the Maplewood Bicentennial mhouse into a bustling community center community,"Anderson said. Commission has designated the will be presented soon to the Maplewood That's not too surprising since Parkside Ostergren farm as its number one project Parks and Recreation Commission. is in Maplewood and yet belongs to the for 1976. If the proposal, from the city Corn- Roseville school district and at the same "The initial program to be tied with the munity Services Department, is looked time is cutup by the freeways,Highway 61 Ostergren house would center around a upon favorably by the Commission and and Interstate 35E. historical theme involving period fur- the city council the Ostergren farmhouse, But the Ostergren farm,built in 1886 on niture and relating the story into history 2005 Edgerton,could become the center of its four-acre site,beckons to unify the of Maplewood,"Anderson said. activity for many community clubs and Parkside community with the rest of A long range possibility for the home organizations, according to Bruce An- Maplewood from the ground up. would be to develop it as a"Gibbs"type derson,assistant director of community Some other immediate ideas for using "farm museum"complete with pioneer services. the home include: operating the city's craft classes. WITHIN NINE MONTHS, Anderson summer recreational programs out of the Other city ideas for using the Ostergren points out,groups like the Jaycees,the home and allowing the Teen Peace group farmhouse include: pottery, jewelry Maplewood Stamp Club, the Duplicate during the summer to repaint and work on making and drawing programs,book and Bridge Club,and the Mineral Club,to odd jobs this summer. record exchanges and a photo lab. name a few, could make the old far- "Our main thought is to get some of the Long range ideas include:an environ- mhouse the headquarters for holding facility and to get people in there,"An- mental weather station,a bottle and can their meetings. derson said. recycling center,a teen drop-in center. And if the plans could become reality The city,also recognizing the home's What will the emphasis on using the the Ostergren farmhouse could be the historical significance to the community, house be—for programs or historical in means to bring the Parkside into the has applied to the Minnesota State Arts nature.Right now we are"attempting to Maplewood community, Anderson said. Council for funding and a declaration that combine all the areas until we get input," Anderson said. In 1975 garden plots were made available to the Maplewood residents. "The program proved quite successful," Anderson said. This year the program is back with 300 plots available on a first come first serve basis. The land has proved suitable for this community activity since the farmhouse was once the site of a large truck garden tomato farm,according to Anderson. THE OSTERGREN FARM PROPERTY was owned by Charles Ostergren up until 1971 when the city of Maplewood bought the property for $39,000 and granted Ostergren a life- estate.Charles Ostergren,84,died last spring and then the property formerly reverted to possession by the city. However Dan, Charles' brother, who lives three houses down from the property,still intends to do some gar- dening on the site. Besides the 15 by 15 foot garden plots to be made available for community use,a greenhouse and hot bed facility on the Ostergren property is being made available for citizens so they can get their Bowers and plants started early. With some of these projects getting off the ground again,the Maplewood Com- munity Services Department is also hopeful that various community clubs will locate their offices in the 13 room two- story house in exchange for certain amounts of work to remodel the house. Although this part of the proposal for using the Ostergren house has not been finalized some community clubs,like the Maplewood Women's Bridge and Brunch group,have already met at the home. be community center ,. : j. .„.„, ,, ,, ,,,,, , : ;J.-A ,, , i'l, 4.t , ,,..:.. !:,,..v., . ‘-„N'',..:k.,. ..*.\,• sil:;:-: - 4 Alil .f.4 ' t t, • , t, f R t, � � 5 i ''• `4'f 11 t om` ..ik , ..,Wit,Ili, q„. itt : ,,,fii., i= .; . , c.4.4-,. .f -,- --ilick if, •.0“,,•„-,-1447:di , 1, ').* . . 1:-* . \I ..t .'..t.'it '.1' i'' ' ' '. ' . . ,'' „,"1,- ',.t' 4.' ''' ,e'' .44iA rr ."�y;tit' ,' ` t P. �d, $`4t },�, }�t ,,.res 710....!7,;:r. hht i k y §S . ! zit• b St d t S i ,# t k. .- THE. .', ,f RF.N FARM HOUSE, built in 1886,was pur- significance.The Maplewood Community Services Department chased by the city of Maplewood in 1971 for approximately has hopes of combining the home's historical aspects with $:19,000.The home,where Charles Ostergren resits ided until his current community programs. death last Easter, was purchased for historical m , ,, ,, - . ,- ,..":4>if, - '' "'",-.: ' ,-.'''''' ,- i 44''''Vti , '-',,,, ' ,1- - -4- s.' t °Fs‘ct � j� �n �� g^S" ✓�S�� 'qg\_`°. .&y j�k 454'4_ '� .. r ,- ``4„'°,- "itlit M1 el Vit' , , ,„;,,, ', ''., r.00 tti Itt A, , ; -,'4 ' %, 'Orgy,'''- .,.,W.44774 ,, vo.."°.::: '.;;;. -4,.10 : I ' 1 ' , .\\.,-, w ., k lito....01, , - ---'5 i '..t! .., 1. t- ' -, ', ,..,*, ,4 b f. <k�, ,'. * barn and too old re g are hoping to clean up ctivities such as e men tore munity many workers th wa l M�LEWOOD CTfYnOmproperty for fu farm emPloe those individuals s hen the Osrgren 1 sheds. °f t the Osterg Of the too t,' e sheds a Back In the days on the walls dances. their nan►es yp w0uldcarve �. ..,....„,..,‘,,,2. _-4,,.. ‘-',.„:. ,-. 7 '',k '-.,.%:.-,,•:.':%-; en R. Anderson. ' W dell � .mss a ,a '� .s �` '¥ 4i '''N'„ �b�. .§�}A� Citi e � A � . �..` '':,., --,, ', 'ii‘.,,.;-... ":-, ,-, . - .,',..'...,....i',', A.''',)1';.,',.!A '` '*.,it i''. .„„4- ' ' ,,t„,:,.. ' ''''''°k '''',..''''13.4k''S''''.,,,....,'"' ',.'‘'' -: .`‘'t,.,,,,4,14,*"..'"' ,''' ..,,,,,,f4.,4..i,,,.„,,, „,.'•,',4,•,, gg q F ,.� �k ' $ g''.& cud. -`�,,`i ;,� ""� 1 v �°` s,,.,, :,.... .,,, ,,„„ \ --,J.4. - „,,,, y \t‘ b e . t.— .. 1' 'to .%.":.%.% \' '%,,,'t % \ - ''' -•-,'-,;% a , . anon. •• b Little deterior * ”' to.iin house is free from very ' ° ` erty line is ,. Wp, F_scc aloa aalyen u QtherOstergren farm AN OL.0 gut am a state of decline• t Jw .s+ ��ww�4 yy moo.. � c t t♦� citizens on a out to Maplewood Edgerton rd.The y will be rentederty,2005 E sSessed by some is a t them, tergren farm prop Ed rt N PLOTS, t�eold0s mcg{arm,was form GARDEN basis a maw e first serve h'was once a to Ostfirscome farm. 0sterefe last September, Maplewood