Historical society faces uphill fight to preserve Richfield’s oldest home

In 1852, six years before Minnesota became a state, Riley Bartholomew claimed 19 acres of land near what is now 70 ^th Street and Lyndale Avenue in Richfield. Settling into what was then farm country, he built a wood-framed house on the property for himself, his wife, Fanny, and the couple’s six children.

Bartholomew, a founding father of Richfield and public servant who chaired the committee charged with naming the city, probably had no idea that people would still be talking about his modest little home more than 170 years after it was built and fighting desperately for its future.

From the uneven wood floors and buckling walls to the badly deteriorated roof, Riley Bartholomew’s former home needs extensive work. But finding money to make those repairs or to even get a detailed cost estimate is a heavy lift for the Richfield Historical Society, which functions on the efforts of one part-time employee and a handful of volunteers.

The society, headquartered in a small office and museum next to the Bartholomew House, says it’s struggling to raise the money it needs to pay for professional architectural and engineering services a first step toward applying for potentially game-changing construction grants.

Amber Lattanzio, the Richfield Historical Society’s executive director, said a “Save the Bartholomew House” fund was depleted to pay for an initial architectural assessment.

“We basically went down to zero for that it was $14,000 or $15,000 and now we need to get drawings. That's the next step. And those drawings are going to cost $32,000. We don’t have that,” said Lattanzio, who added that most grant providers need drawings as part of the application process.

“We’ve been kind of between a rock and a hard place.”

Richfield isn’t the only historical society struggling to preserve historic buildings.

Erin Hanafin Berg, deputy director/policy director for Rethos, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and reusing old buildings and sites, said large organizations as well as small societies are “in a similar position. And not only in Minnesota, but literally across the country and maybe across the world.”

Rethos urges historical societies to be creative in their storytelling and programming as they try to raise awareness of their cause. Hanafin Berg points to the Alexander Ramsey House, where the site director has hosted cocktail parties and emphasized things like the Victorian-era fascination with seances to spark public interest.

In Richfield’s case, the Bartholomew House symbolizes the city’s journey from being a small farm community to a major inner-ring suburb.

“A lot of historic house museums have really tried to expand their programming to take in popular interests right now. How can we be a venue to bring people in around those kinds of interests, rather than like, ‘These are the kitchen tools that people use to use?” Hanafin Berg said.

For its part, the Richfield Historical Society still offers tours of the Bartholomew House’s ground floor and its period furnishings, but the upper floor is off limits to the public. Weight isn’t so much the issue. Rather, architects are concerned that vibrations from foot traffic upstairs would accelerate the deterioration process, Lattanzio said.

Other signs of deterioration are more obvious.

“The shingles are falling off. We go around the house and pick those up almost every time we're open,” Lattanzio said. “We found some cracking along the tops of the walls. The supporting wall is shifting away from the rest of the house. And the second story, because of that, is now starting to fall on top of the first story.”

Mary Supple, Richfield’s mayor, said the community has been working to support the historical society’s cause.

“We would encourage anyone to give generously to help the efforts to preserve it,” Supple said. “It’s one of those things that, once it’s gone, you can’t bring it back. So it’s really important to preserve it.”

Preservation wasn’t always in the plans.

The Bartholomew House was a private residence until 1962, when the Richfield School District acquired the property. Located across the street from Richfield High School, the building was in danger at one time of being demolished to make room for athletic fields or a parking lot, Lattanzio said.

Lattanzio credits a local group known as the Minnesota Valley Women’s Club with saving the house. The club, she said, worked out a deal with the school district to preserve the building and get it on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1967, the structure was restored to reflect its origins as an 1800s-vintage farmhouse.

Riley Bartholomew, for his part, was more than just a farmer. A member of the Republican State Constitutional Convention and founder of the first church and school in Richfield, he served in the Territorial Legislature and the Minnesota House of Representatives, according to the society’s website.

Lattanzio notes that Bartholomew even had a stint as justice of the peace, so the house was “the first courthouse in Richfield, as well. They did all the court proceedings from his home.”

But by and large, he was an ordinary farmer and citizen, which adds to the home’s historical value.

While other historically relevant homes, such as the James J. Hill House in St. Paul and the Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, provided shelter for wealthy citizens back in the day, the Bartholomew Home is a relatively rare example of how working folks lived.

“He was an average man, and we're one of the few places that represent that,” Lattanzio said.

To raise awareness of its preservation and fundraising initiative, the Richfield Historical Society is hosting a “Save the Bartholomew House Event” this Saturday, May 4, at 6901 Lyndale Ave. S. Scheduled from noon to 4:00 p.m., the event will feature house tours, lawn games, food, a raffle and a special guest appearance from a local radio personality.

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