Jul 28, 1980
National Register of Historic Places - Charles Chapman House
Statement of Significance: The Charles Chapman House in LeHillier (South Bend Township) is significant as one of the earliest and best-preserved stone structures in the area and for its association with initial settlement and development. Chapman, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was educated at the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University before coming to Iowa in 1856 and to Minnesota in 1857. After arriving in South Bend Township, he and several other individuals purchased portions of the farm of Noah Armstrong, and Chapman laid out the townsite of LeHillier. The financial difficulties of the late 1850s had disrupted his plans to pursue a career as a railroad engineer; in Mankato, he opened a surveyor's office in partnership with a A.D. Sweeney. The beginnings of urban development in the area provided opportunities for surveying of town lots, and Chapman surveyed most of the early additions to the city of Mankato (Warren's Hanna's, Givens and Lewis', Moreland, Freeman and Buck's, Shabut's, Dukes' and Roelofson's), as well as the townsite of Rapids. Chapman also served as the first city engineer of Mankato and as secretary to the Mankato Board of Trade. His house, located at the LeHillier plat, is reputedly of stone from the George Maxfield quarry, which began operations in the 1850s as one of the first quarries in the Mankato area. The house's association with Chapman as an engineer and town lot surveyor is a link with an important role in the early development of the urban frontier.
National Register of Historic Places - Charles Chapman House
Statement of Significance: The Charles Chapman House in LeHillier (South Bend Township) is significant as one of the earliest and best-preserved stone structures in the area and for its association with initial settlement and development. Chapman, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was educated at the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University before coming to Iowa in 1856 and to Minnesota in 1857. After arriving in South Bend Township, he and several other individuals purchased portions of the farm of Noah Armstrong, and Chapman laid out the townsite of LeHillier. The financial difficulties of the late 1850s had disrupted his plans to pursue a career as a railroad engineer; in Mankato, he opened a surveyor's office in partnership with a A.D. Sweeney. The beginnings of urban development in the area provided opportunities for surveying of town lots, and Chapman surveyed most of the early additions to the city of Mankato (Warren's Hanna's, Givens and Lewis', Moreland, Freeman and Buck's, Shabut's, Dukes' and Roelofson's), as well as the townsite of Rapids. Chapman also served as the first city engineer of Mankato and as secretary to the Mankato Board of Trade. His house, located at the LeHillier plat, is reputedly of stone from the George Maxfield quarry, which began operations in the 1850s as one of the first quarries in the Mankato area. The house's association with Chapman as an engineer and town lot surveyor is a link with an important role in the early development of the urban frontier.
Jul 28, 1980
Posted Date
Jul 26, 2022
Historical Record Date
Jul 28, 1980
Source Name
National Register of Historic Places
