A fire in 1926 destroyed everything but the original cobblestone chimney. The building was resurrected the next year. More makeovers followed.
By 1998, Nicollet Court was described in the park’s management plan as “rapidly deteriorating,” and “one of the most urgent rehabilitation needs.”
But instead it sat there. In 2016, the DNR requested $3 million to reopen Nicollet Court. That never happened. Then in 2018, the state looked at turning it into a hotel, but Leversedge said a $4 million price tag derailed that plan.
The pandemic further derailed plans and made potential renovation even costlier, said Heather Funk, visitor services coordinator at Itasca.
“It is important for people to know that we are not purposely neglecting it. We have been working through phases. We hope to bring it back to a form of glory,” she said.
But Aaron Wunrow, park manager at Itasca for six years, said some preservationists recommended simply letting Nicollet Court sit while it was still on the National Register.