Riverview (1913)
St. Cloud State opened as a Minnesota state "normal" school in 1869. Its primary purpose was to train teachers to teach in Minnesota public schools. Today, the university no longer has a single focus on training teachers but still remains an important part of its curriculum.
Riverview, 1912?
Need
Dating back to 1869, several buildings served as the campus "laboratory" or “model” school. The model school was a fully functioning school with grades from kindergarten to 8th. Teachers in-training observed "master" teachers teach children as well as have a place to do their own student teaching.
Funding and Construction
According to a December 14, 1910, St. Cloud Daily Times article, the current model school building (Old Model School) was "unsatisfactory" while property was also identified where the new building would go. Planning began for Riverview by at least late 1910, likely even earlier. The 1911 state legislature appropriated to St. Cloud State $65,000 to construct a new model school, as well as $17,200 for property acquisition where the new building would be located.
For construction to begin, in July 1911 the Magnusson residence was moved 100 feet south of the Riverview site. General contractor C.A. Johnson finally began construction in the spring of 1912. The building was completed in late 1912 and opened in January 1913.
Built with common local yellow brick, the Clarence Johnston-designed building served as the campus laboratory school until fall 1958 when the Thomas J. Gray Campus Laboratory School opened. Riverview then became the home of the Division of Languages and Literature and, later, the department of English, until 2008.
Riverview classroom, 1918
Renovation
In January 2001, the cupola was removed. The cupola returned in March 2002, but it was an exact replica using modern materials.
After a $6.2 million total renovation was completed in 2009, Riverview became home for the department of Communication Studies. The renovation won a Restoration/Rehabilitation Award from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in 2010. To learn more about the renovation, watch a 2010 St. Cloud State produced video featuring Ellen Luken. Luken was the architect in charge of the Riverview renovation project.
Riverview Name
When opened in 1913, the building was referred to as "Model School", "Normal Training School", or "Normal Elementary School". A May 11, 1921, St. Cloud Daily Times article announced the building was to be referred to as "Riverview" since the building was on the shores of the Mississippi River and had excellent views of said river. The state college board never acted on the "Riverview" name.
Architecture and National Register of Historic Places
Riverview is a fine example of Georgian Revival. Riverview has bays or pavilions at either end of the building. Following typical mathematical perfection, the façade is divided into three parts.
In 1989, faculty member Bill Morgan led the effort for the building to be placed on Minnesota's National Register of Historic Places - and was successful. It is the only St. Cloud State building on the National Register of Historic Places.
The blueprints for Riverview, as it was completed in 1913, are available on the Minnesota Digital Library's web portal Minnesota Reflections.
Riverview, 1913
Riverview playground, 1915
Front entrance, 1913
Riverview, 1960s
Riverview front entrance, 1970s
Additional sources:
Minnesota State College Board minutes for February 14, 1911, May 6, 1911, June 6, 1911, and June 19, 1913
1911 Minnesota State Legislative Session, Laws, Chapter 28
St. Cloud Times, June 14, 1911, July 28, 1911, November 22, 1911, April 9, 1912, September 27, 1912, January 21, 2001 (cupola), and March 15, 2002 (cupola)