Administration Building – Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children – Owatonna, MN - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

This former orphanage is proud of its rich heritage and has numerous markers on the 160 acre campus. It is now home to West Hills City Offices, Art Center, Senior Center, and Orphanage Museum. A marker gives more background of this former orphanage:

Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children. This property has been placed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

Listed as Historic District: December 28, 2010.

This post-civil war public institution played an important role in the development of child welfare policies. In operation from 1886 until 1945, the school was considered a state-of-the-art institution. It was created to mitigate poor conditions of almshouses and limit children’s exposure to criminal, mentally ill and physically ill adults.

Superintendent Galen Merrill served as superintendent from 1886 until his death in 1934, and played a pivotal role in the national discussion on child welfare. Merrill’s pioneering efforts helped spearhead the development of Minnesota Child Welfare Laws enacting in the Progressive Era.

Street address: West Hills Circle Owatonna, MN USA 55060 County / Borough / Parish: Steele Year listed: 1975 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Education Current function: City offices, museum Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 1: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/18/2021 GrammiS and Bill visited it 05/28/2015 CGTeri visited it

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