Preserving Historic Neighborhoods: Stillwater, Minnesota design guidelines

Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission

From introduction: "The City of Stillwater is a dynamic and vibrant community, nestled along the bluffs of the St. Croix River. Stewardship of the scenic beauty of the surrounding landscape is an import- ant value to the community, one of the things that make the city special for residents and visitors alike. In the same way, neighborhood character is an essential element of quality of life for Stillwater residents. It begins with a sense of place. Stillwater’s neighborhoods are each unique, shaped by the city’s dramatic terrain with its steep ravines and high bluffs. In turn, builders altered the landscape to better suit their needs, laying out residential lots on a grid pattern when feasible and moderating the slope of city streets. As one writer observed in 1880, Stillwater’s deepest ravines had “nearly disappeared...However this may be, a full equivalent for beauty lost is paid for utility gained. Enough is left to mark this still as a point of rare beauty.” These historic neighborhoods, with the natural boundaries of ravine and high bluffs, help to enhance community stability, reinforce desirable social patterns and networks, and contribute to a sense of reassurance and security. Many local residents, for example, note how easily they get to know their neighbors, and enjoy the fact that they are recognized by others who live in the vicinity. at’s why neighborhood preservation is so important. There’s an economic benefit as well. While you can always build a new house, historic resources are finite and cannot be replaced, making them precious commodities. Preservation enhances the attraction and appreciation of the streetscape and surrounding homes. In this way, a historic neighborhood establishes a climate for enhanced stability, civic pride, and further personal investment in the area. Studies across the nation have documented that when historic neighborhoods are properly preserved and maintained, property values typically appreciate faster, or at very least are stabilized where they might have been previously declining." Project funding was provided in part by a 2012 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Stillwater (project number MN-12-065) administered by the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 27-12-41930) administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Stillwater, Minnesota is a Certified Local Government.

Preserving Historic Neighborhoods: Stillwater, Minnesota design guidelines

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