The ten most endangered historic places in Minnesota include a Shakopee house.

The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota released its 2008 list today, which includes an abandoned jail, a small-town bank, below-ground resources, and a mid-century Modern icon.

The list, the 15th annual compilation the Alliance has released, profiles the state's most endangered historic sites.

In 2006, Carver County had two sites listed as endangered: the Andrew Peterson Farm (a.k.a. Rock Isle Farm), located on Highway 5 in Laketown Township, and the Gehl-Mittelsted Farm, which is part of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (Rapids Lake Unit) in San Francisco Township.

The Ten Most Endangered Historic Places are selected from nominations submitted by citizens and groups from around the state, according to a Preservation Alliance press release.

The selection committee is comprised of preservation professionals representing the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota; State Historic Preservation Office; Minnesota Historical Society; Historic Saint Paul; Preserve Minneapolis; the Historic Resources Committee of the American Institute of Architects-Minnesota; and the Minnesota advisors to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The 2008 Ten Most Endangered Historic Places List includes:

* St. Louis County Jail, Duluth

* Historic Mantorville Normal School, Mantorville

* McGrath Old State Bank, McGrath

* Layman’s/Pioneer and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, Minneapolis

* Oakland Apartments, Minneapolis

* Peavey Plaza, Minneapolis

* St. Anthony Falls Historic District Archaeological Resources, Minneapolis

* Floral Hall (Olmsted County Fairgrounds Building #31), Rochester

* St. Matthews (Rock of Ages) Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Paul

* Buch House, Shakopee

The Ten Most Endangered program is designed to spotlight historic properties that face imminent danger through demolition, neglect, severe alteration, or inappropriate public policy.

Through this program the Alliance seeks favorable outcomes that can be achieved through a preservation approach. Of the 122 places listed over the life of this important program, two-thirds have been saved in part through the awareness generated by its listing.

Success stories include Minneapolis’ Midtown Exchange and the Ivy Tower, St. Paul’s Head and Sack House, the Stillwater Lift Bridge, the former Red Wing High School, the Litchfield Opera House, and Virginia’s B’Nai Abraham Synagogue.

Here's the Alliance's description of the Buch House, at 227 4th Avenue West in Shakopee:

The Buch House at 227 Fourth Avenue West in downtown Shakopee was built in 1875 of locally manufactured brick for lumber merchant, Frank Buch.

An 1891 illustration reveals the delicate details of the roof, bracketed cornice, and open porches of the two-story Victorian dwelling.

Although many of the original details have been removed, the building is an increasingly rare remnant of the history of Shakopee. Now owned by the Scott County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), the Buch House is threatened by plans to expand the parking lot for the nearby courthouse and jail. As a result, the HRA has not invested in the building’s long-term maintenance.

The recently formed Shakopee Historic Preservation Advisory Commission has designated it as a historic site worthy of preservation, but the commission lacks a regulatory ordinance to enforce protection of the house.

A number of compatible reuses have been suggested and advocates believe the county can achieve their parking objectives while preserving the house.

The Buch House demonstrates the need for local heritage preservation commissions with regulatory powers, especially in the growing metropolitan area, as development expands into historic small towns once on the periphery of the Twin Cities, such as Shakopee.