Terrace is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Chippewa Falls Township,
Pope County,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States.
The community was settled in the 1870s around the
Terrace Mill. In 1982, a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
of early buildings and structures was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
as the Terrace Historic District for having local significance under the themes of exploration/settlement and industry. It was nominated as a well-preserved example of the small communities that grew up around Minnesota's rural mills in the latter 19th century.
History
Terrace was established by George Wheeler, John Wheeler, and William Moses; settlers who had moved from eastern Canada to
Owatonna, Minnesota
Owatonna () is a city in Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,599 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Steele County. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair i ...
, to the Minnesota frontier to establish a mill. Located on the East Branch of the
Chippewa River, the town was originally called Chippewa Falls, but soon changed names due to ongoing confusion with
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 14,778 in the 2021 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa Cou ...
.
The original mill relocated to
Brooten ''circa'' 1895, but in 1903 a new miller constructed the existing Terrace Mill and resumed the town's founding industry.
Historic district
The Terrace Historic District consists of 13
contributing properties
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...
. Five contributing properties closely associated with the mill itself were originally listed on the National Register as the
Terrace Mill Historic District in 1979, but a more comprehensive historic district was declared in 1982 in recognition of the rare integrity of the broader community. Early rural mill towns tended to be abandoned due to the cessation of small milling operations and competition from towns prospering along railroad lines. They are particularly rare in western Minnesota, where settlement was minimal until rail lines were laid. The properties of the Terrace Historic District represent the full suite of industrial, commercial, educational, social, religious, and residential structures comprising a small community.
See also
*
References
External links
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in Minnesota
Unincorporated communities in Pope County, Minnesota
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
National Register of Historic Places in Pope County, Minnesota