2012 Heritage Preservation Awards of Merit announced

Each year the Red Wing Heritage Preservation Commission presents Awards of Merit to individuals, institutions and businesses involved in exceptional local historic preservation projects.

The commission this month recognized seven recipients for their contributions to help preserve Red Wing’s heritage:

• Merle and Patti Dargus, 913 East Ave.

The Darguses restored the exterior and painted their Queen Anne-style home. The house was constructed in 1893 by George and Ella Cook. George Cook was a cashier with the Betcher Lumber Co. and went on to own the Red Wing Golden Rule Department Store.

The Darguses purchased the house in 1992. Restoration started three years ago when a color palette was established; however, it took several years to find a painting contractor willing and able to take on the large and detailed project. Mary McElderry of Mary’s Finishing Touch was hired to complete the job.

The goal was to bring out the architectural detailing on the house by selecting an appropriate mix of colors for its numerous features. The majority of the siding and ornamental detailing on the house was in good condition. But several repairs were needed and the front porch railing, which was not original, needed to be replaced.

All of the existing paint was stripped from the siding and the bare wood was properly treated before new paint was applied.

• Tom Quanrud and Brian Schneider, 504 E. Seventh St.

In 2000, they purchased a Dutch colonial-style house built in 1907. They spent 12 years restoring it.

Interior work included new dry wall for all ceilings, re-wiring and re-plumbing the entire house, installing new heating and central air systems and restoring an original copper and brass art glass light fixture that was found in the garage.

In addition, the original three-season porch on the rear of the house, which was converted to a laundry room in the 1970s, was returned to its intended use and design, including the re-establishment of the historic openings using old paint lines found on the ceiling and pillars.

Exterior work included the removal of uncomplimentary 1970s replacement windows with windows in keeping with the original style, the reinstallation of wooden shakes on three sides of the structure using the untouched north side of the exterior as a guide, the installation of new lap siding on the north side of the house to match the existing, and the painting of the entire exterior. All work was done by local contractors.

• Jill Prahl and Matt Parker, 1037 Sturtevant St.

They did interior and exterior rehabilitation and restoration of their front gable vernacular-style home, which was constructed in 1880. They purchases it in 2008.

Over the years, the home had been stripped of all of its old-home charm. Trim had been removed, the flooring was in poor condition and overall the structure had been neglected.

Over a six-month period of working on weekends and after work, they restored the interior. Walls were patched, the kitchen cabinets were refaced, new trim was installed, and the original hardwood floors were restored.

Exterior work included a summer of scraping multiple layers of paint off of the wood siding and repainting, the installation of new entry doors, and repairs to the front porch. In addition, new landscaping was installed.

• Scot and Regina Johnson, 1127 Putnam Ave.

The Johnsons completed interior and exterior restoration of their home, the L–Shape vernacular-style with gothic revival influences. The home was built in 1890.

The Johnsons have spent the past 22 years restoring and maintaining the original elements of the house.

• Annette Martin, 723 Central Ave.

This two-story vernacular cross gable home with Queen Anne-style detailing was constructed in 1897 and is historically known as the Kappel House.

The exterior transformation of the house took approximately five years of work, including scrapping existing paint off of the wood siding, repair and replacement of damaged siding and repainting with an emphasis on highlighting the structures Queen Anne-style elements.

• Erick and Tamra Graham, 1133 College Ave.

The front gable vernacular-style home with Queen Anne-style detailing was constructed in 1893. The Grahams have spent 19 years restoring and maintaining the original elements of the home.

• Caribou Coffee and Welsh Cos., 726 Main St.

The building, historically known as the Chicago Great Western Depot, was constructed in 1906 and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The two-story brick building was built to serve as the railroad’s divisional headquarters; the first floor of the depot served as the passenger space and the second floor housed company offices.

In 1979, North Central Food Systems purchased the building and redesigned and reused the interior space for a Hardee’s restaurant. In 2006, Caribou Coffee took over the space.

During the summer of 2011, Caribou Coffee and Welsh Cos., the property owner, completed a substantial restoration of the building’s exterior.

The main project included the replacement of the building’s ceramic tile roof with a new, matching, ceramic tile roof. The original tiles were failing.

Instead of proposing a new contemporary roofing system/product, the property owner and Caribou decided to maintain the architectural integrity of the building by installing a new ceramic tile roof, which was significantly more expensive than possible alternatives.

In addition to the roof project, the exterior façade was repointed where necessary, water drainage issues were corrected, new accessible ramps were installed, and exterior brick paver hardscapes were renovated.

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