COUNTRY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2018
Serving Marine on St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 35 NO. 16 www.countrymessenger.com $.75
KI-CHI-SAGA DAYS: Chisago City's annual event details. PAGES 6 & 7
Renovations underway at Asa Parker House BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
The claw foot tub at the Asa Parker House is gone. So are the appliances, drywall and most of the structure’s west half. But when Marine on St. Croix resident Jack Warren is finished renovating the 162-year-old Marine home, he thinks the iconic property will look much like it did decades ago. As the building’s name suggests, the house was built for Asa Parker, a partner with the Marine Lumber Company. More recently, it served as a bed and breakfast. However, longstanding and newer problems have left the home in need of serious repair. In his quest to save it, Warren put a top priority on structural integrity. A close second: keeping original construction intact. “My instructions to
Scandia residents invited to weigh in on internet access BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
SUBMITTED
The west half of the Asa Parker House has mostly been demolished as Marine resident Jack Warren works to restore the 1856 building.
the architect were that these rooms [the parlor and former office] would not be changed and the exterior would not be changed,” Warren said. “As we dug into the house it turned out there were a few structural issues.”
A major support had broken. Timber beams were rotting from a century old leak in the roof. On the upper level, a portion of the floor had been insufficiently framed. In Warren’s words, “The house was coming
undone.” So he got to work repairing, getting rid of anything that was no longer functional. The kitchen? Structurally unstable and not original to the house. SEE RENOVATIONS, PAGE 11
Spelmansstämma: There will be pork BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@COUNTRYMESSENGER.COM
A 200-pound pig will be roasted at this year’s Spelmansstämma, a fiddle festival thrown by the Gammelgården immigrant heritage museum. To have the pork cooked and sliced by 11 a.m. Saturday morning, Scott and Nancy Purington will begin roasting the hog at 8 p.m. Friday evening. According to Gammelgården, the fiddlers gathering is a long held Swedish tradition. The musicians come together to play and teach one another new songs. The music has never been written and is only shared by playing. The event kicks off at 10
a.m. with a parade and program at 1 p.m. (See sidebar for full schedule.) The program will feature fiddlers from the American Swedish Institute’s Spelmanslag (fiddlers league) and members of
NEWS 651-433-3845 editor@countrymessenger.com
A group hoping to improve internet accessibility in Scandia is seeking input from residents. For years Scandia residents have expressed frustration with the lack of reliable, affordable internet. With support from the city’s Economic Development Authority, a group is exploring the potential for expanded and improved service. Using grant funds from the Blandin Foundation, they’ve commissioned a feasibility study to assess whether fiber-to-home internet could be made available to residents and businesses. The study will examine what the solution would look like when complete, how it would be constructed, how long construction would take, maintenance, operation and costs. In an effort to determine the level of interest and support for fiber optic infrastructure in Scandia, the group has developed an internet survey. To weigh in visit ScandiaInternet.com.
Explore Arcola Mills, paddle St. Croix at upcoming open house
the Nyckelharpalag (key fiddle league). A nyckelharpa is another Swedish folk instrument. It addition to 16 strings it has keys.
Bring your own canoe or kayak and travel back in time as you paddle around the various islands that surround the historic site of Arcola Mills. Take a guided tour of the historic Greek Revival mansion at 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. ($5 per person). Or hike through trails on the property to explore the grounds and ancient forests. In the early 1840s, before Minnesota be-
SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE 2
SEE OPEN HOUSE, PAGE 2
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GREG SEITZ, ST. CROIX 360
The Arcola Mills mansion, built in 1847, seen from the St. Croix River.
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