Recording in progress.

Good evening.

It is Thursday, March 26, 2026.

I'll call to order this meeting of the Heritage Preservation Commission.

It is 6.03 p.m.

All members of the commission are present either in person or online.

First, we have the approval of the February 26, 2026 meeting minutes.

Any questions on the minutes?

I'll take a motion.

Raise hand and state your motion.

I'll move to approve the minutes as written.

Motion to approve the minutes by Laura Garden.

Second by I'll second it.

Second by Ellie McLoon.

Any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye or raise your hand.

And that is unanimous.

Thank you, Tim, for doing the minutes as always.

Next we have 26-0222 nomination of Emerson Elementary School or Hillview Orthopedic School located at 2001 Campbell Road to be designated as a local historic landmark.

You have before you the attachments of the nomination and the letter from the school district.

So again, this month's meeting is to vote on the merits of the nomination.

If this is approved, it will go to public hearing next month.

Any questions?

Any questions from the applicant or to the applicant rather, or the school district.

Pal or school district, do you have anything you want to add?

Sure.

Yeah, and when you turn that uh button on, just state your name in the municipality or who you're representing.

Uh my name is Barbara Coyman.

I live in La Crosse.

Um, and I'm representing Pal Marcus Settler, the author of this nomination couldn't be here tonight, but he wrote it on behalf of PAL.

So I'm representing that organization, Preservation Alliance of La Crosse.

Um this property, uh, as we've stated last month, is was nominated as for its historical significance as the first and only dedicated orthopedic school built in the city of Lacrosse for children with disabilities, tuberculosis, polio, and other physical disabilities.

Um it was dedicated in 1940.

Actually, the name was changed to Emerson Orthopedic School upon its uh designation or dedication.

Uh the second floor was added in 1956 by the same architects who did it, who did the first floor, the one-floor original building, and it was done very seamlessly because it was the same architects that used on near identical brick and other materials, especially on the exterior.

The other reason that we nominated this building is because of its significance related to the uh WPAPWA National New Deal program that was started by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

LaCrosse did take advantage of some of those federal funds and um uh we had three public schools that were built under that that period.

Uh Emerson School, again, dedicated just for the orthopedic school initially, uh, but also Logan Um uh Middle School and Longfellow Elementary School.

Um there were a few other educational buildings, two buildings on the UWL campus, Morris Hall, and then the heating plant building where the archaeology center is now that were also built under those programs.

Um that is of nationwide significance that we have these intact buildings here in our city taking advantage of those programs.

Um, in walking through the building, uh I've written hundreds of national register nominations throughout my career as a historic preservation professional, and it is my strong opinion that that building meets National Register of Historic Places criteria, um, not only because of the history that we've outlined in our nomination, but because of how intact the exterior of the building is, but even more so how intact the interior is in public spaces, the tile work, the stairwells, um the classrooms.

And it is my strong opinion that that building meets National Register of Historic Places criteria, not only because of the history that we've outlined in our nomination, but because of how intact the exterior of the building is, but even more so how intact the interior is in public spaces, the tile work, the stairwells, the classrooms.

There's a fireplace in one of the classrooms, which I understand was a kindergarten room.

Just some really special features that are very intact in this building.

Yes, there have been additions, but they were done sympathetically.

And again, I have no doubt that this building could meet National Register criteria.

Having said that, this group, your group, you're looking at the exterior features and the history.

You won't be addressing interior features if it does get designated down the line.

It uh that's not your purview.

But I'm just saying, here we have a building that is meeting that even higher criteria of national register eligibility.

And I feel that it would be an error if this group did not push forward with this nomination tonight and eventually the designation, hopefully um next month.

Uh that's the strong feeling of pal.

That's my feeling again as a professional in this field for decades.

And um if you have any further questions for me or PAL representatives who are here, I'm welcome.

I'm open to your questions.

Thank you, Barb.

Are there questions for Pal?

Are you able to respond to the statement in the school district letter that the programs it housed were not unique or even the first in lacrosse?

Uh yes.

Um last month uh Superintendent Engels did uh make a comment that uh, you know, that these orthopedic schools, this was not a unique idea.