Creamery, Lake Benton, MN
This beautiful creamery was built of ACO Bricks from Springfield, MN. At least some of the bricks are marked with ACO and the color is consistent with bricks produced by ACO. The creamery is right next to the lake. I haven’t been to Lake Benton in a couple of years, but was saddened to hear the creamery has been torn down.
It’s understandable, the economics of renovating the building to put a business in there just aren’t favorable. Still it was a building that gave distinction to a small town due to it’s architecture and was a common business in most small towns in farm country prior to 1940. Minnesota was the center of the dairy industry and nicknamed the butter capital of the world.
I share your sadness regarding this building any many other structures, but, as you said, the economics of renovation just aren’t favorable. Keep on photographing them before they all are gone.
Thanks for stopping by Dan. I feel compelled to capture them in a sense. It’s something of a visual history.
There’s an exhibit right now at the Steele County History Center on Owatonna as the Butter Capital of the World. Been there and photographed it, but no post written yet.
So sad about the Lake Benton Creamery being torn down. Why?
From what I’ve been able to find by poking around on the web there was a business that wanted to locate there but for whatever reason that fell through. It would have taken a lot to fix up that creamery. I’m sure the city didn’t want it around if no one was going to use it as it would attract young explorers and they didn’t want the liability.
My great grampa ran this creamery decades ago! 😢
My great grandfather owned this creamery in the early 1900s. I saw it twice. The first time thwre was still a small operation going on there. I’d hoped to obtain a brick or the association sign if it ever went down. I hope the bricks are being used.
My grandfather Louis Zimmer worked there and he and my grandmother lived in the house across the street – I had hoped to buy the house or creamery
My grandparents live in the house across from the creamery. My grandfather worked for the creamery. Loved that building
My grandfather Elmer Frimoth may have worked in the creamery, as well. I’m trying to confirm that. I am so sorry to hear that the building was torn down.