Livery Stable, Wabasha Minnesota
The Livery Stable was built ca. 1893 on Lot 1, Block 13, Original Plat of Wabasha. Prior to 1885 that property had been owned by Mary E. Wetherbee, a widow. It was acquired in 1885 by Margaret McKenzie. This building was constructed about 1893 for use as a livery and sales stable. It was purchased in 1914 by Margaret G. Sawyer, who by marriage became Margaret G. Replogle. After the Replogle House was constructed in 1916, the Livery Stable was converted for use as a garage, storage facility and workshop. This property was acquired by Elizabeth R. Baker in 1947 and by William E. & Kathryn H. Ridley in 1976, who continued its use as a garage, storage facility and workshop until it was acquired by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 1986.
The Livery Stable was a outbuilding to the Replogle House located at 305 West Main Street, It is a two story wood frame building with red brick veneer and a gable roof. The outside dimensions are 31'x36'. It measures 19' from ground line to the eaves and 9' from the eaves to the ridge line.
The front facade has an ornamental brick parapet with decorative recessed panels and decorative brick lentils. The three bay front originally consisted of a wide central door on the ground floor level flanked by a window on the right and a door or window on the left. The central door and the door or window in the left bay had been replaced by a wide overhead door for garage use. Three triple panel transom windows remain above the location of the former central door. On the upper floor level, the original hay door remains in place in the center, flanked by windows on each side. The windows are two over two double hung sash.
The south side faces on an alley. It contains a single door opening on the second floor level to the rear of center with wood lintels above and below it. Brickwork seals a former door opening immediately below.
The rear contains a door on the ground level, which appears to have been cut in after the original construction. At a level just above the top of the door are six small "horse" or ventilator windows, which suggest that the stable may have contained six horse stalls. Wood lintels are above and below each of the six windows. Above the second floor level near the roof peak is a two over two double hung sash window with wood lintels. A brick chimney penetrates the roof near the rear wall.
The north side contains a door and single small window on the ground level. Both door and window have wood lintels. A triple panel transom remains above the door. The top lintel over the window is on the same level as the lintel over the transom.
Although the original wood beams and framing remain inside the building, the interior has otherwise been remodeled. The interior now consists of a single room on each level.
The front facade of the building exhibits considerable deterioration in the brickwork with resultant sagging. It appears that this may have resulted from the removal of supporting brickwork when the wide garage door was installed. in addition, the brick parapet appears to be quite fragile.
The property on which this building is situated is needed on which to construct a portion of the approach to a new bridge to carry Trunk Highway 60 over the Mississippi Hiver between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The possibility of relocating this structure was given serious consideration. However, no site is available for relocation within the Wabasha Commercial Historic District and no suitable site is available elsewhere in Wabasha without removing another building. The building was to be demolished in late 1986 or early 1987.
