700 Main St
Henderson, MN, USA

National Register of Historic Places - August F. Poehler House

Statement of Significance:

The August F. Poehler House is significant both for its association with a prominent and influential early Henderson settler and as a well-preserved example of the residences constructed by area entrepreneurs in the more successful communities during the mid to late nineteenth century. August F. Poehler emigrated to Henderson from Germany in 1856 to join two older brothers, Fred and Henry, who had started a mercantile business in the fledgling community of Henderson, which had been platted on the Minnesota River the previous year. August, at 18, took charge of the fur trading end of a business based on a trading post, fur trading, and government contracts. The Poehler Brothers business prospered and branched into lumber, grain, and milling, becoming a major commercial interest in the area. August Poehler became the sole owner of the business in 1887. He contracted with Mankato architect George Pass to design the family residence in 1883, at a time when the family business had achieved a great deal of success and the Minnesota River town of Henderson had become a flourishing center in the county, serving as the county seat and an important center of trade and commerce. The building remains a prominent element in the now quiet river town, reflective of an earlier period of prominence and of the success achievable by area entrepreneurs during the late nineteenth century.