Welcome to the Old Town Hall Museum! Our virtual door is always open for you.
Come on in and explore Bloomington History.
The wooden clapboard building has been beautifully restored to its 1890's glory.
The cupola on top was an architectural feature typical of that era. Churches or schools
would place a bell in the cupola, so visitors often think of a bell tower when they see it.
An open trap door to the cupola would draw the air through the building and out the top,
cooling the building in those days long before air conditioning. Today the building
has modern heat and air conditioning to preserve the museum collection.
Schools
On your right as you enter the Museum is a tribute to Bloomington Schools. Classic wood desks,
band uniforms, letter sweaters, books and photos abound. A large photo of the 1918 Bloomington Consolidated School
is directly ahead on the wall. The brick school building was on the east side of Penn Avenue at
100th Street. Storyboards tell of the one-room schoolhouses that preceded it, and of School District
271 which still serves our Bloomington students today.
The Old Town Hall
Your next stop, after signing our guest book and considering a kind
donation (thank you!),
is a panel that shares the history of the Old Town Hall itself.
Built in 1892, this building served as a Town Hall as well as a gathering and meeting space.
Bloomington City Offices outgrew this space, and by 1964 moved into a new building across the
street on Old Shakopee Road. At that time the Old Town Hall became home to this Museum and
the Bloomington Historical Society. The original cupola had been removed in 1929, but was
restored in the 2008 Bloomington Sesquicentennial renovation.
The video below tells the story of the
2008 Old Town Hall restoration project.
Oak Grove Presbyterian Church
Your next stop highlights Oak Grove Presbyterian Church.
The original church was built where the Bloomington Cemetery is now at about 103rd & Lyndale.
That building was moved to Penn & Old Shakopee Road (across Penn from the Old Town Hall) in 1864
and enlarged several times. A new church building was built in 1951,
and the old church building was demolished in 1957.
The large wooden
cross was installed here in September 2019 after being donated to the Bloomington Historical
Society. The wood, once part of Gideon Pond's
Oak Grove Mission house built in 1843, was re-purposed into this cross in 1951. It stood
outside the Oak Grove Church on Penn and Old Shakopee Road for decades, but had
to be removed for a building addition. After preservation and restoration, it now towers
over the beautiful pump organ which provided uplifting and inspiring music to the early
Oak Grove congregation.
The Lakeside pump organ was manufactured in Chicago between 1882 and 1898. It was
purchased for $20 in April 1927 for the Sunday School. A lady from the congregation was
paid $5 per month to play and lead the singing for the church services.
On the organ is a photo of Oak Grove Church founding pastor Gideon Pond and a
commemorative plate made in 1955 for the 100th anniversary of the congregation.
On the wall above the organ is a photo of Pond and his second wife, Agnes Hopkins Pond.
The photo of the congregation outside the white clapboard church was taken in the
early 1900s. The commemorative plate on the organ shows how the church looked from
1910-1950 after several renovations and additions.
Barn Loom
Close by is a barn loom. It even works! Here early Bloomington neighbors brought their
old clothing to tear into strips and weave into rugs. Nothing was wasted on the prairie
farms. Houses were so small that the looms were kept in a barn. The loom was shared, just
as early farm families would share harvesting equipment and other large machinery in the
community. The photo above is the barn that was at the Gideon and Agnes Pond farm on 104th Street.
The spinning wheel shown here is a replica and is used for spinning demonstration events. The
museum also has an antique spinning wheel on display elsewhere.
Newspapers
As you continue on along you come upon our research center. Original copies of the Bloomitarian,
the Sun Suburbanite, the Bloomington News, the Richfield Bloomington Sun, and the Bloomington Sun
are here at your fingertips in bound books. Bloomington news from 1928 through the early 1970's
is represented. Visitors often look through the newspapers from their High School years, or the
year they (or their parents) were born. What a trip down memory lane!
The newspapers we have available on the main floor are:
The Bloomitarian 1930's and 1940's
The Bloomington News 1950's
The Richfield Bloomington Messenger 1953
The Bloomington Sun 1970's
The Bloomington Current 1983
World War I
This new display of World War I artifacts was completed just as we closed the Museum in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You are the first to see it! Here are photos of
Bloomington men who served in the war, a letter home from France, a knapsack, canteen,
helmet and other uniform pieces. A picture book about the Great War is open to the page
about Women's Part in the War. On the wall above is a storyboard listing all those who
served from Bloomington, their unit and where they served. The American State Bank
eagle soars with pride over the names of those who bravely served.
Dan Patch
High on the river bluffs, where the Masonic Home now sits, was the estate of Marion Savage
and his famous racehorse Dan Patch. Savage owned the railroad line that diagonally crosses
Bloomington from Minneapolis down through the city which now bears his name, and beyond to
Lakeville. He proudly named it the Dan Patch Line. Pictures and memorabilia about the
famous horse, the estate and the railroad can be seen in this display case
Pond Family
In the back corner of the Museum is a large permanent display case that contains
artifacts from the Gideon and Agnes Pond family. A number of beautiful baskets and
beaded gifts from their Native American friends and neighbors are in this
climate-controlled case. Pond family photos and information about the Pond Dakota
Mission Park in Bloomington are also in this area.
Dugout Canoe
A beautifully restored Native American dugout canoe is your next stop. There
is a whole
section on this website about it,
so we'll let you explore that later. Ready to be mounted on the wall above is a storyboard about the Dakota conflict and exile of 1862. This tragic time in history changed Bloomington for years to come. The loss of our Native American residents and their cultural richness left Bloomington with a predominantly European cultural background that lasted nearly 100 years. Also in this area are a number of Native American artifacts purchased from the Thunderbird Hotel collection. Stone tools and beaded artifacts donated by several collectors are also on display. Our friendly Bison looks down from high on the wall.
Military Kiosk
Next you will see a large kiosk dedicated to Bloomington residents who have served in our
military. A number of uniforms from various branches of service in WWII are on display.
The Bloomington Historical Society is in the process of identifying every Bloomington
resident who served during WWII. It's a huge task! We already have over 800 people, and
their branch of service, identified. Bloomington natives as well as those who moved to
Bloomington following their service are included. If you have family members or had
neighbors who should be included in our list of Bloomington service members, please let us know.
Photos are also welcome.
Tom Burnett
September 11, 2001. 9/11. A day that changed our nation. Thomas Burnett, Jr., a
Bloomington Jefferson High School graduate, has been honored for his heroic actions that day
aboard United Flight 93. His determination that day to 'do something' to stop terrorists from
using the hijacked plane that Tom was aboard to attack our nation's Capitol is an inspiration
and point of pride for all Bloomington residents. Tom's parents generously donated many
artifacts and documents about Flight 93 and 9/11 into our care. Of special note are all the
wonderful hand-made cards of sympathy and support made by Bloomington elementary school students
and sent to Tom's family.
Auto Club
The center of the Museum highlights the elegance of Bloomington on the Minnesota River. From
1908 to 1958 the Minneapolis Automobile Club built a summer Country Club for its members here
in Bloomington. The season opened with a lavish Mother's Day brunch and closed with a gala Halloween party. Imagine yourself walking through beautifully manicured gardens or dancing the night away to a live band. Along with many photographs of the building you can see Auto Club artifacts including dishes, silver, fabric from draperies, and a prom dress that was worn to Bloomington High School prom held at the Auto Club.
Norling Photos
One of the most prized collections at the museum is the Norling Photo collection. A number
of the photos on display have been published in books, and copyright considerations don't let
us (or you) photograph the Norling prints. There is a large
section about the Norling collection
elsewhere on the website. Stop by there later to learn more.
More to See
There is so much more to see in person. There are treasures tucked all around, from the
balcony wall to the loft above the back room. In addition, we are continually working to
create small temporary seasonal displays. There is also a display case at Civic Plaza with
4 or 5 different displays each year. Our volunteers are looking forward to re-opening the
Old Town Hall Museum and seeing you in person. We invite you to become a
member and supporter of the Bloomington Historical Society. Help preserve our community heritage and
inspire the next generation of Bloomington residents to continue to make Bloomington a wonderful place to live. Until then, stay well!