Minnesota Home School for Girls Historic District, Historic reformatory campus in Sauk Centre, United States.
The Minnesota Home School for Girls Historic District is a former reformatory campus in Sauk Centre containing 19 preserved structures, including residential cottages such as Alcott, Richard, Stowe, and Sullivan Cottage along with administrative and service buildings scattered across rural terrain. The complex was designed by architect Clarence Johnston Sr. and showcases a carefully planned arrangement of individual buildings.
The facility opened in 1911 as Minnesota's first specialized reformatory for adolescent girls, where educational and vocational training programs were provided. It operated for this purpose until 1999, when it ceased operations.
The buildings are named after notable American women, reflecting how early 20th-century reformers believed education and practical skills could help troubled girls rejoin society. These names show the institution's focus on female role models as part of its rehabilitation approach.
The district sits on spacious rural grounds that are easy to explore on foot, with cottages and buildings spread across different areas of the property. Visitors should know the site is spread out, so good footwear is recommended for exploring all the structures.
The campus follows a Cottage Plan design approach where each building functions as a separate living unit intentionally spaced across the landscape. This architectural strategy was novel for its time and aimed to provide residents with more structure and independence than traditional institutional buildings offered.
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