North House News

RAISE  THE  ROOF   
   The Campaign For North House Folk School
   December, 2007
   Download a PDF flier about Raise The Roof
   Get Involved - Service Learning: Timbered Milling Shop - this March
Grand Marais, MN – North House Folk School formally announces its plans for a major, multi-year commitment designed to secure and enhance the educational potential of this young, vibrant non-profit organization located in northern Minnesota.  Raise the Roof: Campaign for North House Folk School has set both an ambitious and achievable goal of $2,750,000 (of which $469,500, or 17% has already been pledged). 

In 10 short years, North House Folk School has emerged as a unique and essential northern educational non-profit organization.  The organization’s commitment to learning as a lifetime endeavor, passion for the North and its story, focus on nurturing community, hunger for engaging life through the work of our hands – each has found its place at the school and has resonated with the thousands of individuals who have journeyed to its campus.  Executive director, Greg Wright comments, “We have always been an organization committed to visions and possibilities.  Thus, nothing could seem more appropriate than to truly celebrate the close of our first decade by engaging our second with purpose – launching the Raise The Roof dream.” 

The Raise The Roof vision has taken shape over a number of years.  A feasibility study prepared by Patricia Hvidston, financial advisor with more than 20 plus years experience in non-profit leadership, summarized three fundamental commitments that define the campaign -

Home, Harbor – Supporters, staff and students all identified an unwavering sense that North House Folk School will remain on the Grand Marais Harbor.  North House Folk School and the City of Grand Marais will continue to work together to foster an economic and educational role model for how a successful private non-profit and government agency can work together. 

Quality, Safety, Community - For the North House mission to achieve its educational potential, the entire campus must project a commitment to quality, safety and community. Adding capital improvements to its campus over the next four years is essential to achieving this.

Stability, Strength - As an emerging nonprofit, North House’s ability to achieve its mission and capacity to welcome a diversity of students is directly connected to the financial capabilities.  Therefore, increasing annual giving and expanding our endowment is essential. 

  The funds raised from the campaign will provide numerous opportunities for improvements to its existing harbor side campus located in the City of Grand Marais.  An initial ‘Red Phase’ of construction will allow North House to expand its current woodworking facilities by adding a milling shop, create two woodworking classrooms, and add a dust removal and heating system.  Improving the living quarters for the internship program, improving the blacksmith shop and starting to create a cohesive, welcoming outdoor commons area are also part of the Red Phase of campus improvements.  The ‘Green Phase’ will enable North House to construct a new ‘green’ student center to house the School Store, an indoor student commons, library and administrative services.  The Green Phase also includes the completion of the outdoor commons area including friendly brick pavers and improved parking.  The ‘Blue Phase’ includes the installation of commercial grade teaching kitchen and entry way to the existing blue building on campus.  This final phase will focus on revitalization of existing facilities including relocation of the wood-fired baking area. 

The total goal for campus improvements including the Red, Green and Blue phase are $1.6 million, of which 27% has already been pledged.  Partnering organizations like the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation of Duluth, Minnesota recently awarded a $50,000 grant to the ‘Red Phase’ of the campaign in support for campus improvements.  Executive director for the Foundation Joan Garnder-Goodno commented “the Board of Directors at the Foundation saw a unique opportunity to live our mission by supporting a project that would promote education through life-long learning, contribute to a healthy and vibrant arts community and support important community and economic development on the North Shore.”

Raise the Roof: Campaign For North House Folk School is a “comprehensive campaign,” asking donors to both continue contributing on an annual basis while also making multi-year pledges towards the capital/endowment goals.  Contributions toward the campaign are planned in a variety of ways.  From bequests to in-kind gifts, serving on committees to hands-on participation in one of a number of planned service learning projects, North House welcomes support.  Executive director Greg Wright comments, “The symbolism of the title fits North House perfectly – it is the hands of many that will raise the roof.” 

Detailed information regarding the campaign, campus plans and giving opportunities is available.  Financial contributions of any size, in-kind donations and volunteer hands-on involvement will all be needed in the coming years.  Please contact North House Folk School at 218-387-9762.

May 2005
Fish House Re-Building Underway

TIMBERS  RAISING  UNDERWAY
Click on images to enlarge
** more photos below and others to be posted soon! **

Destroyed in a January 2004, the original fish house was a valuable asset to North House and Grand Marais as its historic and rustic charm were unmistakable. Since the accident (see story below), careful planning and the hard work of numerous volunteers yielded specific rebuilding plans and an impressive pile of prepared timbers. Now, the rebuilding process is underway: in April the foundation was installed, in May the frame will be raised and the building enclosed, and in May/June interior work will be completed.

North House's vision for new 36x36 structure is to recapture the elemental flavor of the original fish house while also creating new resources to compliment the school's growing educational efforts.  A dedication of the structure is planned during the 2005 Wooden Boat Show.

Funding is welcome and needed to support the rebuilding of the historic fish house.  Even with the involvement of volunteers and generous in-kind donations, total costs for building the new structure are projected at $195,000. Gifts of any size are welcome and are fully tax deductible. Strong support will allow North House to complete the rebuilding project in a timely fashion, ensuring that the structure will be available for use during the coming season both by Tommy Eckel (local fishing legend and long-time occupant of the original fish house) and by North House students.

Clearly, a portion of the rebuilding costs will be offset by a still-pending insurance settlement with the trucking company.  Unfortunately, the settlement has been less than timely, a fact which has significantly hampered rebuilding efforts.

To be involved in the Fish House Building Project!
     Please download this printable donation form
     or call 218-387-9762.

    
** the original Eckel fish house      ** the interior of the new fish house **
 

September 2004  
Let Them Come & They Will Build It
*** Rebuilding A Historic Fish House ***

North House Folk School will launch the "Historic Fish House Community Building Project," an effort to recapture elements of the history and flavor that was lost this past January. Rather than subscribing to the philosophy of "Build it and they will come," North House’s rebuilding effort instead focuses energy on an intriguing alternative – "Let them come and they will build it."

   Let them come and they will build it! The success of this community service project depends upon many helping hands. This is the type of energy that helped create North House. Involvement and support of many types continue to be needed. Please call 218-387-9762 for additional information.

January 2004
- Historic Fish House Destroyed on North House Folk School Campus

On Monday, January 26, 2004 the "Eckel Fish House," a historic building located on the North House Folk School harbor-side campus, was destroyed in an accident involving a fully-loaded semi truck and trailer. Filled with wood chips bound for the paper mills in Thunder Bay and traveling down the steep Gunflint Trail into Grand Marais, the truck’s brakes failed at approximately 5:00 p.m. Thankfully, no one was killed or injured as the vehicle picked up speed, crossed Highway 61, and plowed through the east end of the fish house. The semi finally came to a halt when it dove into the Grand Marais harbor, tipping onto its side between North House’s two timbered docks within feet of North House’s schooner Hjordis.

The Eckel Fish House was one of only three historic fish houses remaining on the Grand Marais harbor. Built in the 1930’s, the structure’s simple lines and rustic charm made it a local landmark, if not for its historic value than for its principle occupant, Tom (Tommy) Eckel, a 78 year-old who is still actively commercial fishing on Lake Superior. Tommy’s daily outings (May to October) onto Lake Superior to pull nets, confident movements filleting fish, and dry wit have been part of the Grand Marais harbor for more than half of a century.

Emergency personnel responded to the accident within minutes and remained on site throughout the night. Three large tow trucks from Duluth and two pieces of heavy machinery were ultimately needed to pull the truck and trailer out of the lake. The process was complicated by the heavy load of wood chips and proximity of the damaged building. In addition, in the final moments of the accident the truck had tipped over and wedged itself against one of North House’s timbered docks. By approximately 6:00 am the next morning the truck and its trailer were removed from the site.

The fish house was one of four primary structures on North House’s campus. Its loss as a historic resource on the campus is a significant loss for the organization. Discussions are currently underway regarding strategies for both recapturing the building’s historic flavor as well as creating a working structure. North House’s eastern dock is also in need of significant repair. Discussions are currently underway with insurance carriers.

During the accident the trucks fuel tank and oil pan were ruptured. The resulting spill was contained initially by the ice and docks. Emergency personnel added floating booms almost immediately. A state-approved clean up team will complete a multi-stage clean up of the site.

Thankfully unscathed was North House’s schooner Hjordis which was in its winter birth alongside the adjacent timbered dock. The front of the truck stopped perhaps 4 feet from the bow of the Hjordis. In fact, the driver used the schooner’s mooring lines to assist him as he climbed out of the harbor following the accident.

North House will provide additional information as it is available.