National Register of Historic Places

Administration Building-Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children

Owatonna, Steele County, Minnesota
Listed
May 11, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75001030

About this property

The Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children was a residential and educational facility for wards of the state from 1886 to 1945, located in Owatonna, Minnesota, United States. The State School was created by an act of the Minnesota legislature in 1885 as an effort to provide safe, transitional housing for the state's orphaned, abandoned, and abused children. The goal was to remove at-risk children from harmful situations and place them in the State School, where they would reside in a home-like setting, receive an education, and eventually be placed with suitable farm families. Over 60 years of operation, the State School was home to a total of 10,635 children. The facility closed in 1945 as adoption and foster care came to be preferred over institutionalization. The State School complex became the Owatonna State School (OSS) for children with developmental disabilities. The OSS closed in 1970. After four years of vacancy, the campus was purchased by the city of Owatonna to serve as its new seat of government. The complex was renamed West Hills. The Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum on the grounds interprets the history of the site. The main Administration Building of the State School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The larger complex of 19 surviving buildings, including the previously listed Administration Building, were added to the National Register as a historic district in 2010.

Location

Owatonna, Steele County, Minnesota
44.08969, -93.23842

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children
Listed
0.2 mi
National Farmers' Bank
Industrial
0.7 mi
Owatonna City and Firemen's Hall
Industrial
0.7 mi
Owatonna Free Public Library
Industrial
0.8 mi
Steele County Courthouse
Industrial
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Administration Building-Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children listed on the National Register?

Administration Building-Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 11, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Administration Building-Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children?

Administration Building-Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Administration Building-Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children?

The period of significance for Administration Building-Minnesota State Public School For Dependent and Neglected Children is recorded as the industrial era.

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