December 30, 2011: The Charles Thompson Memorial Hall is Listed on the National Register of Historic Places!

Published 12-30-2011

Thompson Hall Listed on the National Register of Historic Places – Dec. 30, 2011
Nomination Goes To National Register for Final Review – Winter 2011
State of Minnesota Votes on Nomination – Nov. 1, 2011
City of St. Paul Votes on Nomination – Sept. 15, 2011
History of the Nomination Project

December 30, 2011 – Thompson Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places!

Today it was announced that the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall (built in 1916 in St. Paul) was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 2011. The National Register posted its weekly list of announcements today, and Thompson Hall was on the list.

The National Register of Historic Places designation establishes Thompson Hall’s historical significance as a building that continues to serve its original mission as a clubhouse and civic center for the deaf community, and also recognizes the historical contributions of the community in establishing and maintaining this cherished building. It was a gift from a deaf woman, Margaret Thompson, in memory of her deaf husband’s desire to give the deaf community a place to gather and find strength in numbers, and it was designed by a nationally recognized deaf architect, Olof Hanson.

It is hoped that the National Register designation will help increase awareness about this unique “living history” property, and enable Thompson Hall to receive preservation and interpretation funding so that it can become more accessible to the community and the public in the future.

Congratulations to Thompson Hall and to all who helped with the project to get Thompson Hall nominated to the National Register of Historic Places!

Special thanks go to the Thompson Hall Board of Trustees and the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens for their support and their valuable contributions to this project, and also to Will Stark of Stark Preservation and Dan Pratt of ARCH3 for their professional work on this project.

The Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans (MCDHH) coordinated this project on behalf of the community. This project was made possible by Legacy funding granted to MCDHH from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund established through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008 and administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.

Winter 2011 – Thompson Hall Nomination goes to the National Register of Historic Places for Final Review and Approval

Now that the nomination for the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall is approved at the local and state levels, the staff at the State Historic Preservation Office will prepare and sign the paperwork and send it to the National Register of Historic Places in Washington D.C. for final review and approval. The Keeper of the National Register will receive the nomination by the end of 2011, and will have 45 days to make her decision. If she approves, then Thompson Hall will be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. We will know the final decision by January-February 2012!

November 1, 2011 – The Minnesota Historical Society approved the Thompson Hall Nomination for the National Register of Historic Places!

Susan Roth of the State Historic Preservation Office at the Minnesota Historical Society gave an excellent short presentation on the significance (both architecture and social history) of the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall building. Doug Bahl (Thompson Hall Board of Trustees) and Dann Trainer (President, Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens) then made public comments on behalf of the community. Their comments were well-received by the State Review Board, which then discussed the nomination. The Board agreed that Thompson Hall was a remarkable building with light-filled architecture and an important social history, and unanimously approved the nomination. The Board also commented that many of their members have driven past Thompson Hall and noticed it but did not know what it was, so they really enjoyed the opportunity to read the nomination and learn more.

November 1, 2011 – The Minnesota Historical Society will vote on the Thompson Hall Nomination for the National Register of Historic Places!

• What: Minnesota Historical Society’s State Review Board meeting to discuss the Charles Thompson Memorial Hall nomination for the National Register of Historic Places – open to the public

• When: Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. – board starts at 6:45 p.m. and nominations start at 7:00 p.m.

• Where: Cargill Commons, MacMillian Education Center, Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd. West, St. Paul

• NOTE: Sign language interpreting accommodations will be provided by the Minnesota History Center (if you need alternative accommodations such as CART or tactile interpreting, please email your request by October 21 to MCDHH Staff and we will do our best to cover your request)

• What to expect: The Thompson Hall nomination will be first on the agenda (there are a total of 12 nominations), and will be presented for 5 minutes by a State Historic Preservation Office staff member. Public comments will be allowed for 3 minutes. If you wish to speak, you will be asked to sign your name and to explain to the board why you think the property meets National Register Criteria. The State Review Board will then discuss the nomination (they may have questions for staff or for people in the audience) and then they will vote on it.

• For more information: See the full meeting description here. You can also view the Thompson Hall nomination and photos online.

September 15, 2011 – The Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) supports the Thompson Hall nomination for the National Register of Historic Places!

The HPC had some supportive remarks about the nomination, and then MCDHH was able to provide public comments on behalf of the community. Here is what Teika Pakalns said to the HPC members:

“My office obtained a Legacy Grant from the Minnesota Historical Society to hire professional consultants to complete a National Register nomination for Thompson Hall with the assistance of Thompson Hall’s Board of Trustees and the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens.

We all believe that Thompson Hall is deserving of this nomination, as it is a truly unique building that was specifically designed and built as a clubhouse and civic center for continuous use by the deaf community. It was a gift from a deaf woman in memory of her deaf husband’s desire to give the deaf community a place to gather and find strength in numbers, and it was designed by a deaf architect.

Achieving National Register designation will not only establish Thompson Hall’s historical significance as a building that continues to serve its original mission, but also recognize the historical contributions of the deaf community in establishing and maintaining this cherished building, and furthermore encourage the community to preserve and utilize it for the future.

The National Register designation will also serve to increase awareness about this unique “living history” property, and better position it for receiving preservation and interpretation funding so that it can become even more accessible to both the community and the public.

Thank you for your support of this nomination.”

Come see & make public comments to the Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) about why Thompson Hall deserves to be on the National Register of Historic Places!

• What: Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) Business Meeting & Public Hearing (see agenda here)
• When: September 15, 2011, start time is 5:00 pm, public comments around 5:30 pm or so
• Where: City Hall Conference Center Room 40, 15 Kellogg Boulevard West (enter building from Fourth Street)
• NOTE: Sign language interpreting accommodations will be available at 5:30 pm – provided by the City of St. Paul

History of the Nomination Project

The Charles Thompson Memorial Hall (1824 Marshall Avenue, St. Paul) is already a locally designated Saint Paul Heritage Preservation site. Successful nomination to the National Register will not only recognize its historical significance as a deaf clubhouse and civic center established for continuous use by the community, but also recognize the historical contributions of the community in establishing and maintaining this cherished building, and furthermore encourage the community to preserve and utilize it for the future.

With the support of a Legacy Grant from the Minnesota Historical Society, Thompson Hall’s Board of Trustees, the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, and the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans worked together with Will Stark of Stark Preservation and Dan Pratt of ARCH3 to complete an official nomination to put Charles Thompson Memorial Hall on the National Register of Historic Places.

This nomination is now making its way through the formal submission process. The nomination was sent to the State Historic Preservation Office, and has received Certified Local Government Comment and approval at the HPC meeting on September 15, 2011. The nomination has received approval from the Minnesota Historical Society’s State Review Board on on November 1, 2011. It will now be sent to the National Register of Historic Places for final review and approval.

This project has been made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.