1941 office building in Osage needs new home

1941 office building in Osage needs new home

The Mitchell County Historic Preservation Commission is looking for someone interested in taking ownership and moving a building in Osage with ties to Frank Lloyd Wright. The building is on the future site of the Cedar Valley Seminary.

“Prior to the Cedar Valley Seminary Foundation acquiring this property, it was slated for demolition by the former owners,” Penney Morse, president of the Mitchell County Historic Preservation Commission, said. “It was only because the building was procured by the Foundation as part of the new site for the Cedar Valley Seminary that the history of the building became known.

According to a news release from the commission, site preparation for a relocated Cedar Valley Seminary building requires the removal of four existing structures. One of these buildings, located at 709 Chase Street in Osage, was built in 1941 to house the medical practice of two doctor brothers, John and Merrill Eiel The building is currently occupied by Farm Bureau Financial Services.

“This building was designed by a prominent local architect, Robert Blandin, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin Studio in Wisconsin,” the news release said. “The one-story brick structure on a cement slab is an early example of modern office design.”

Wolfe House and Building Movers has determined it is possible to move the building and the Mitchell County Historic Preservation Commission is willing to work with anyone interested in purchasing and moving this building to a new site.

If you would like more information, contact Penney Morse at pjmorse@gmail.com.

Staff Report