Public
Buildings Church Steeples Residences Rail Depots Ferry Landings and Parks
The Red
Wing Historic Mall District is located at the
center of the original town; a piece of land running north and south between
the Mississippi River and Seventh Street and along East and West Avenues and
Broadway roughly outlines the District. The town's streets were laid out
parallel to the river.
The
buildings within the district are oriented
primarily towards the river and along East and West Avenues and Broadway. As
the land slopes gently upward from the river, the Mall widens, creating an
impressive rise of parks, public buildings, church steeples, and assorted
residences and other buildings. The irregular street formation, the open
parklike spaces, the rich vegetation of landscaping around the churches and in
the parks, and the concentration of churches and large public and institutional
buildings set the mall apart visually and functionally from the commercial part
of town to the east and the residential sections to the south and west.
The
boundaries of the Red Wing Historic Mall District
are determined largely by this unity that sets the Mall apart from its
surroundings. Most of the buildings included in the District are located
between East and West Avenues and bordering along these streets and Broadway
from the river to Seventh Street. These boundaries jog out to include four
areas that extend beyond the property immediately adjacent to the major streets
defining the area:
Levee Park is included as the entrance to the mall; here are located the
Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Passenger Depot and the ferry landing.
The
Fleischman complex extends west to approximately
Dakota Street and serves as an anchor to the northwest portion of the District.
The boundaries extend on West Third Street and West Fifth Street to include the
C.F.J. Smith House and C.C. Graham House.
Dating to
the 1850s, these houses anchor the district on the
west side and contribute to the historic and architectural character. Both
houses pre-date the buildings located between them and the mall: when they were
built they bordered the mall directly.
The
southern boundary of the District
has been determined by the location of significant buildings which serve to
anchor the corners of this part of the District.
Of the 49 buildings comprising the District twenty-two
were built by 1890
Public and
Institutional buildings of the Mall are
the most prominent. Their scale and masonry construction make them stand out
from the smaller, more modest residential and commercial buildings around them.
The Goodhue County Courthouse occupies a prominent position on Fifth Street
between East and West Avenues; Central High School occupies the block to the
east of the Courthouse and faces the Mall; The Post Office, Red Wing Public
Library, and T.B. Sheldon Memorial Auditorium flank the Mall off of Third
Street; the YMCA stands prominently on the northeast corner of Main and
Broadway; the Milwaukee Road Passenger Depot is located to the east of Broadway
in Levee Park at the river and railway entry to the city. Seven churches are
also scattered along the Mall, the most prominent being Christ Church, which
faces John H. Rich Park and the river on Third Street.
The three
parks located within the District, Central
Park, John H. Rich Park, and Levee Park, further set this portion of town apart
as a public place. They are integral to the Mall's composition, providing ample
open spaces and vegetation to set off the large public buildings. Several
residences and commercial buildings and one industrial complex on the waterfront
are also located within the District and contribute.to its historic character
and active role in the community's history.
The appearance and function of the Historic Mall
District has not changed over time
The Mall changed the most during the first decade of the twentieth century
when many of the more substantial civic buildings were built and when the John
H. Rich Park and Levee Park were established.
The
continuity of the mall's design and function makes
it distinctive and worthy of recognition and preservation. Additionally, Red
Wing's mall is unusual in that civic malls of this size are very rare in
Midwestern towns.