National Historic Landmark

Volstead, Andrew John, House

Granite Falls, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota
Listed
December 30, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74001046

About this property

The Andrew John Volstead House is the historic house in Granite Falls, Minnesota, of ten-term United States Congressman Andrew Volstead (1860–1947). It is now managed as a museum and the organizational headquarters of the Granite Falls Historical Society. Volstead became nationally synonymous with Prohibition in 1919 when, as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, he was obliged to author the Volstead Act, enabling enforcement of the recently ratified Eighteenth Amendment. Volstead was a moderate progressive who coauthored the Capper–Volstead Act in 1922, which legalized agricultural cooperatives. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 for having national significance in the areas of agriculture, politics/government, and social history. Two years later the house was declared a National Historical Landmark. The 1878 home is a wood-frame structure with a large two-story stairwell tower that was added on by Volstead shortly after he purchased the property in 1894. During Volstead's time, the first floor had a large screened porch; this has now been replaced by an open porch. The interior is adorned with oak woodwork and stained glass. Volstead moved to a new home in Granite Falls in 1930. The first Volstead House remained privately owned until 1974, when it was listed on the National Register and converted into a historic house museum. Five years later it was donated to the city.

Location

163 9th Ave.
Granite Falls, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota
44.80911, -95.53953

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTSOCIAL 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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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Weaver, Julian A., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Swensson, Olof, Farmstead
Listed
5.4 mi
Maynard State Bank
Industrial
7.5 mi
Hotel Sacred Heart
Industrial
9.4 mi
Sacred Heart Public School
Industrial
9.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Wood Lake
1862Civil War
5.9 mi
Yellow Medicine Agency Attack — Dakota War (August 18, 1862)
1862Indian Wars
6.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Volstead, Andrew John, House listed on the National Register?

Volstead, Andrew John, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Volstead, Andrew John, House?

Volstead, Andrew John, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Volstead, Andrew John, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Volstead, Andrew John, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Volstead, Andrew John, House?

The period of significance for Volstead, Andrew John, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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