The Pauline Fjelde house has been demolished

Pauline Fjelde stitched the first Minnesota flag in 1893. She lived and worked out of her home at 3009 Park Ave. from 1908 to 1918. The Central neighborhood group and preservationists had been working to try to save the building. The owner of the property wanted to demolish it for a parking lot for his storefront properties on Lake Street.

According to Sheila Regan of the TC Daily Planet: “James Schoffman, the current owner of 3009 Park, requested a wrecking permit to demolish the home in 2008 in order to create a parking lot, but last January the Heritage Preservation Commission denied his request. The commission established interim protection for the house, as it underwent a study to determine whether the home could be designated as a historic resource and thus protected from demolition.

On Sept. 29, before the designation study was completed, a fire in the building destroyed its roof. Police Information Officer William Palmer said the MPD has classified the fire as arson, but no arrests have been made. Since the fire happened, no tarp has been secured to protect the building from snow and rain.
On Dec. 4, the city ordered Schoffman to secure the roof of the house to prevent weather damage, according to Grant Wilson of Minneapolis’ Problem Properties. While Schoffman has boarded the windows, as of Dec. 22 the roof was still open.”
Patrick Higgins, the director of Inspection Services, ordered the demolition because he felt the building was unsafe.