Replogle House, Wabasha Minnesota

Date added: June 10, 2010 Categories: Minnesota House

The Replogle House was built in 1916 on Lot 1, Block 13, Original Plat of Wabasha, Prior to 1914 that property had been owned by Margaret McKenzie, etal. It was acquired in 1914 by Margaret G. Sawyer, who later married Dr. W. H. Replogle. They used this house as a combination residence and medical office. This house was acquired by Elizabeth R. Baker in 1947 and by William E, & Kathryn H. Ridley in 1976, who used it as a residence until it was aquired by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 1986.

The Replogle House was situated in its original location at 305 West Main Street, in the southwest corner of Walnut Avenue and West Main Street, This two story American Four Square style rectangular building has a dark red wire brick-veneer with clay tile interior walls and a concrete foundation. It has a low pitch hip roof with projecting eaves. The windows have stone sills. The overall dimensions of the building are 30'x59' and it measures 21' from top of foundation to eaves.

The front (north facade) which faces Main Street is symmetrical with an enclosed one story porch across nearly the entire width which is also topped with a hip roof. The east facade which faces Walnut Avenue is essentially symmetrical with a first floor level entrance at its midpoint. Over this entrance is a canopy supported by steel chains. Brick corbels above the canopy and below the second story window may have once supported a flower box. The windows are in horizontal groupings on both the north and east facades.

The rear (south facade) has a projection in the southwest corner on the first floor level which provided a dinette. The rear entrance has a porch canopy supported by brackets. The southwest half of the second story has a grouping of four windows to a sun room. The west facade is also non-symmetrical, with individual windows, two pairs of windows and one grouping of three windows.

The east side entrance off Walnut Avenue enters into a large foyer which apparently was used as a reception room for Dr. Replogle's office which was located to the left of the foyer. This office was later converted into a bedroom. A portion of the basement below Dr. Replogle's office appears to have been used as a laboratory during the time of his medical practice.

In addition to the enclosed porch, foyer, and doctor's office-bedroom, the main floor level included a living room, dining room, kitchen and dinette. The upper story included three bedrooms, a bathroom and the sun room.

The property on which this building was situated was needed on which to construct a portion of the approach to a new bridge to carry Trunk Highway 60 over the Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin. It was to be moved or demolished in 1987.