A moving experience

TOWER- No, it wasn’t a parade.

But it was just as exciting.

There were cheers and clapping and smiles all around as the flatbed truck carrying the 61,000 pound, 126-year-old St. Mary’s Church rolled down Main Street to its new home, where it is set to become the cornerstone of the new Lake Vermilion Cultural Center.

The move had initially been planned for mid-October, but when the building was lifted off its foundation, some dry rot was found on the lower beams. While the problem section was quickly replaced, rescheduling the move with Minnesota Department of Transportation, Minnesota Power, MidContinent, and the local police proved complicated.

When moving day arrived on Sunday, fingers were crossed that everything would go smoothly, and once the first tricky corner was navigated, it took less than 10 minutes for the church to travel the five blocks to its new home.

The church measures 26 wide and 41 feet long, and at the peak of the roof, it measures 30 feet high, tall enough to cause problems for overhead power lines.

A cold mist didn’t deter spectators, who lined the streets from the church’s old location on North Second to Main Street. The move meant power outages for many local residents and Main Street businesses, since power lines needed to be raised and lowered as the building made its journey. The move coincided with a Sunday afternoon Vikings game, disappointing some fans, but area bars rounded up generators to keep the game on.

The hot coffee under the tent at the LVCC site ran out a little early. But the stove in the tent corner helped warm up cold toes and fingers, keeping the large group of volunteers and spectators warm throughout the afternoon.

The move is the most concrete sign yet of the emergence of the planned Lake Vermilion Cultural Center (LVCC), a vision spearheaded by Mary Batinich, whose family has longstanding ties to Tower’s oldest church, and who championed the idea of converting the building into a community asset.

“What you have accomplished is nothing short of amazing,” Tower Mayor Josh Carlson told the crowd who assembled to watch the spectacle. “This will become the cornerstone of Main Street for years to come.”

Lake Vermilion Cultural Center Board Chair Tom Sersha has a long history working on preserving historic buildings. Every town, he said, should focus on preserving at least one historic structure.

Sersha said this building, along with the city’s old fire hall, are ones that deserve preservation.

“This building will serve many functions,” he said.

The old fire hall is in the process of being purchased by the Tower-Soudan Historical Society (TSHS), which plans to renovate the structure.

IRRRB Commissioner Mark Phillips said that it was his dream to come back to northern Minnesota to finish his career. With years of experience in community and economic development, Phillips said this is a “signature project” for the city.

“The main driver of economic development is quality of life,” he said. “The IRRRB has put lots of money into infrastructure, underground, but now we want to start investing above ground.”

Phillips said the strong showing of community support and fundraising for the project were key in getting IRRRB support. While the project, up to this point, has all been privately-funded, an IRRRB grant has helped with the construction of the “carriage house” garage and a second grant will be used to cover some of the moving costs. The IRRRB has also given a grant to TSHS to fund the purchase of the old fire hall.

The project also complements the city’s long-range development plans for the new harbor.

“This is all good for tourism,” Sersha said.

Mary Batinich, the ringleader of the LVCC effort, spent her few minutes talking by thanking everyone else involved.

“This has been more of a community project than anything else,” she said, thanking her tireless board members and the many local residents and building contractors who have lent their expertise and time to the project.

Batinich is fond of quoting an old Chinese saying, “with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.”

But in this case, the mulberry leaf, or the old church building, will become a community center for arts, learning, and social events, to benefit everyone.

What’s next?

Over the next few weeks the building will be moved onto its new foundation, over a full basement, and readied for winter. Windows will be installed in the basement, then wiring will be done to power the new furnace. The basement areas that will become the Halunen Lobby, Abrahamson Gallery, and elevator shaft will be sealed and capped off for the winter.

The signature stained glass windows are in the process of being cleaned and reassembled. As work begins again on the building next summer, the windows will be reinstalled. The exterior of the old building will be replaced with new wood siding and its trademark fishscale details. When construction begins on the new Halunen Lobby, the new roof will be constructed, replacing the old St. Mary’s roof.

The lot that the church used to occupy will be cleared up and put up for sale, with proceeds to be used for the new project.

“Our goal,” said Batinich, “is to have St. Mary’s Hall and the new lobby ready for next fall. Then fundraising and grantwriting will focus on the construction of the final phase three addition and the elevator shaft and tower.”