BEMIDJI 鈥� It's no secret that downtown Bemidji is home to many historic buildings.
On Wednesday, launched a long-seeded plan to honor century-old buildings and preserve history, with Bemidji HPC Chair Linda Lemmer leading a ceremony to honor four downtown buildings.
ADVERTISEMENT
The ceremony began with a short presentation detailing the history of 201 Third Street NW, currently home to the Northwest Minnesota Foundation building. The building is 124 years old and a perfect recipient of the first 100-year-old structures in Bemidji decal, designed by Kevin Johnson of
Afterward, Lemmer led a small group comprised of Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince, At-Large Councilor Audrey Thayer, Ward 2 Councilor Josh Peterson and other interested residents to The Hanger building located at 217 Third Street NW.
Here, both The Hanger and the site next door at 219 that currently sits empty, were honored in the same fashion as 201. The two addresses are part of the same building that has stood in Bemidji since at least 1904.
The ceremony ended across the street at 202 Third Street NW, home to Yellow Umbrella and 218 Clothing and Gift. This building was notably constructed in 1909 or before, as listed on the building itself.
The Northwest Minnesota Foundation building was submitted by an employee; the other three properties were submitted by the property owner of 218 Ventures LLC.
The information collected via the application process helps aid the HPC in crafting a brochure that features a comprehensive area building history. Further applications help aid this process.
All in all, Lemmer believes the ceremony went well and spoke to the importance of preserving Bemidji's history.
ADVERTISEMENT
"When people drive around and remember the buildings that are no longer here," Lemmer began, "if I had a penny for every person who said we shouldn't have torn down the old Bemidji High 歪歪漫画, I would be a very wealthy woman. So, if we can get people to recognize what we have while it's still here, (that is important)."
She also added that the commission can begin noting patterns and other historical tidbits once more buildings are cataloged.
"If we can get the community aware, I think we can preserve a whole lot more history," Lemmer concluded.
The commission is still accepting applications for its 100-year-old structures in Bemidji program.
Lemmer believes future ceremonies will not be as large as this one; however, the commission will most likely detail the building's history and present a decal on-site at future ceremonies.
Anyone who believes their structure is 100 years or older can apply for the program. Non-owners can also apply, but must gather permission from the owner. Those who are not sure of their structure's history but are interested can reach out to the commission, which will help decipher any such history.
cost $10 and can be found on the commission's or at
ADVERTISEMENT
A successful application awards the structure owner with a decal and enters it into the commission's online registrar, including the brochure. However, this application does not enter the building into a national registrar.
There is currently one vacancy on the HPC, which meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall. Those interested in applying to join the commission can contact City Clerk Michelle Miller at cityclerk@ci.bemidji.mn.us.
