RICHFIELD
COMMUNITY GUIDE | 2024
Preserving the past for future generations
Preserving Richfield ’ s history for generations to come is an ongoing effort of the Richfield Historical Society .
Among the area ’ s pioneers was Riley Bartholomew , a former general in the Ohio Militia , who settled with his family in 1852 on a homestead at what is now the intersection of 69th Street and Lyndale Avenue , near the shore of Wood Lake . The house still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Tours of the house are available , facilitated by the Historical Society .
A current goal of the Historical Society is the same goal that prompted the formation of the Historical Society : preservation of the Bartholomew House . After options for installing interpretive exhibits were explored several years ago , work on the house shifted to addressing its structural integrity while maintaining its appearance from pioneer days .
More than 170 years since its construction , the roof of the Bartholomew House is in need of repair , and the second floor has been closed to the public due to structural concerns . To address those issues , the organization is actively fundraising to support its multi-point plan to restore the house , which includes the preparation of construction drawings . Once the drawing are complete , the Historical Society can apply for grants that will pay for the construction work
to be done .
Beyond the Bartholomew House , the Historical Society ’ s mission has broadened , and the Richfield History Center , located next to the pioneer home , has become a venue for educational exhibits and a repository for treasured artifacts recalling the city ’ s days of yore .
That history is rooted in farming – the city ’ s name references the fertile land upon which it was founded . Richfield ’ s collection of farmland , largely populated by market gardens , gave way to suburban development following World War II . Prior to the war , Richfield ’ s population was under 10,000 . By 1960 , the city was home to 42,500 inhabitants . The population growth came after annexations had already shrunk Richfield geographically – what was known as Richfield once included parts of what is now St . Louis Park , Edina , Minneapolis and the Minneapolis-St . Paul International Airport . Richfield ’ s population peaked at 50,000 in 1970 before shrinking to its current level of about 36,000 .
Richfield History Center 6901 Lyndale Ave . richfieldhistory . org 612-798-6140
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