Historical research reveals a rare building type.​

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CHALLENGE

The Foss House was constructed in 1869 by Norwegian immigrant couple, Ole and Anne Foss, some of the first European settlers to present-day Underwood, Minnesota in Otter Tail County. After Ole’s death, Anne continued to live in the house into the late 1920s. After this, it continued to serve as a residential dwelling with some modernizations and alterations, such as a lean-to addition, new siding, and the addition of a second chimney. It also served a stint as a chicken coop. The building’s owner sold the house to the City of Underwood in the 1970s, and it has been stewarded by the Women’s Study Club of Underwood ever since. This group’s stewardship involved restoring the house to its original appearance and materials as closely as possible in the late 1970s. However, due to the age of the house, the Women’s Club needed additional means to care for it and decided to apply for a Legacy Grant so that a NRHP Property Evaluation could be completed.

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SUCCESS

New History completed a Property Evaluation and, thanks to extensive documentation of the restoration project of the 1970s, determined that the house was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A in the area of Exploration and Settlement as well as Criterion C in the area of Architecture. The house is an excellent example of log house construction in the pre-railroad era Midland Tradition. Furthermore, it is a rare example of a single-pen plan with an adjacent shed room; most surviving houses in this style have shed rooms located at the rear of the house. The State Historic Preservation Office agreed with New History’s assessment, and the house was successfully listed on the National Register in 2025. Listing unlocks access to additional funding sources for care of the home, ensuring it can continue to serve as a community and educational resource for years to come.