Historic Homes and Businesses in Carver - Carver County Historical ...

formed and headed Carver-on the-Minnesota, Incorporated, a non-profit group dedicated
to the preservation of Carver. For a time in the late 1960s and early 1970s the kitchen of
Carver Cottage served as the headquarters of Carver-on-the-Minnesota. Edith Herman
was one of the cofounders of Carver‟s Steamboat Days and a driving force in the creation
of the Carver Historic District, its placement on the National Register of Historic Places,
and fostered the creation of the first design guidelines for historic preservation in Carver,
as well as laid the framework for what would become the Historic District Ordinance and
Carver‟s Heritage Preservation Commission.
John Alder, who was born in Switzerland and served as Mayor of Carver in the late
1940s-early 1950s, once lived in the house.
Also in Carver
Carver City Hall. Carver‟s present city hall in the southwest corner of Broadway and
Fourth Street West was built on the former site of the Central Hotel, also known as the
Neunsinger Hotel. The new city hall was built with Carver labor, including that of
Carver Mayor Elmer Kraemer, who led the project, and was supported with funds by the
Carver Lions, who later generously paid off the mortgage. The new city hall was
dedicated with a ceremony and open house on Sunday, June 9, 1957. Senator John
Metcalf appeared for a dedication address and John “Bud” Fahey served as Master of
Ceremonies. The U. S. Colors were presented, and the ceremony included music and
tours of the gymnasium, kitchen, and dining room.
Besides containing the city administrative offices, the city hall has been rented out for
weddings, parties, dances, concerts, art shows, flea markets, and antique shows. It has
hosted numerous pancake breakfasts, chili feeds, steak dinners, senior citizen events,
Lions Club events, gymnasium sports events, and much more.
In March 1978 the film crew of the movie Ice Castles rented the Carver City Hall for six
days at $10 per day while filming was taking place in the Carver area, most notably at a
farmhouse on Carver County Road #40 between Carver and East Union. Meals were
catered in for the film crew, who worked for Columbia Pictures. Starring in the film
were Robby Benson, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Colleen Dewhurst, and Tom Skerritt.
Carver’s Riverside Park, Main Street, East End. Located along the Minnesota River,
Carver‟s Riverside Park was long vital to the social, cultural, commercial, political, and
agricultural vitality of all of Carver County, as well as of surrounding counties.
Beginning about 1860 immigrants from Sweden imported a tradition from the old country
and began holding a market day in Carver on the last Saturday of every month. Soon
immigrants from other countries joined in. Town merchants and farmers from
surrounding areas plyed their wares, handicrafts, stock, and produce, very often in the
early years using the barter system owing to a shortage of coin and currency on the
frontier after the Panic of 1857 and during the Civil War years. These fairs undoubtedly