Tower View Restoration

Alexander Pierce Anderson was a brilliant
inventive man who brought considerable
fame to this Minnesota community during his
lifetime and left a legacy that remains alive
today.

Born to Swedish immigrant parents in nearby
Featherstone Township, Anderson grew up
working hard on the farm, while still
appreciating the nearly untouched natural
world around him. His first major purchase
was a book on zoology at the age of twelve.

He taught in one-room schools for eight years while still helping out on the farm. In 1889,
when he was running the farm himself (and still teaching), the family home burned down
and a year later his father died. After that fall's harvest (1890), he enrolled at the
University of Minnesota and received his B.S. degree in botany in 1894 and an M.S.
degree in 1895. The next year was spent at the University of Munich in Germany where he
studied for his Ph.D.

Fairly early in his career, he had an opportunity to test Dr. Heinrich Meyer's theory that
the central nucleus of a starch granule contains a minuscule amount of free (condensed)
water. In 1901, in very simple terms, he was able to heat corn starch to a very high
temperature and then cause it to explode. The tiny amount of condensed water in the
granules flashed into steam during the explosion and tore the starch granules to pieces,
thus turning the mass of expanded granules into a "porous puffed mass." And thus, puffed
cereal was born.

He immediately patented the process and eventually received 25 patents on the puffing
process and the machinery used to manufacture it. A retort gun used in 1902 that
demonstrated the process used for puffing rice is on display at the Goodhue County
Historical Museum.

The Anderson Puffed Rice Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quaker Oats, was set
up in 1901 and continued until 1941. Alex worked from a laboratory in Chicago and
puffed rice was introduced publicly in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair.

As soon as he was able, he started buying
back the family farm, which had been sold
while he was at the University. Then, between
1910 and 1920 he purchased considerable
land in Burnside Township , much of which is
near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 61 and
State Hwy. 19. It was there that he built the
Tower View complex between 1915 and 1921.
The tower provided water and water pressure
for all the buildings. A brick wall fronts the
estate and fully grown trees hide the tower
during summer. Much of the facility is connected with underground tunnels. It served as
a full working farm, as well as laboratory and home to the active Anderson family.
Experiments were not limited to the puffing process and included the commercial
development of a plantago hard psyllium seed that could withstand climate extremes.
The site was self-sufficient, providing its own utilities, as needed.

His estimable life also included achievements as a farmer, educator, scientist, poet,
essayist, botanist, and naturalist. As the range of his interests makes clear, Alexander P.
Anderson also believed that the fine arts, humanities, and sciences share a common
ground.

In the Fall of 1997, the restoration
and preservation of the Tower View
estate was set as a high priority of the
Anderson Center Board of Directors,
and a five year $700,000-$750,000
capital drive was begun to restore the
complex to its original grace and
beauty. Masons applied 40,000
pounds (20 tons) of new mortar in
restorative tuckpointing of buildings
and walls and replaced over 3,500
individual bricks. More than 120
windows were disassembled,
stripped, rescreened or repaned, and
repainted. Over 160 gallons of
industrial and architectural paint brought new life to wood trim, doorways, gates,
railings, garages, and original outbuildings. In addition, close to 1000 new flowering
plants and shrubs, which replicate the original plantings of 80 years ago, now grace the
Tower View grounds.

In addition, the landmark water tower received new roof timbers, replacing all those that
had rotted out, and all roof tiles were cleaned and placed back into their original
positions. The restoration of the tower rotunda and the exterior decorative designs of the
tower also took place. The four underground "subways" or tunnels that connect all the
major historical buildings of the Tower View estate were reopened after 40 years of being
boarded up, renovated, repainted, and are usable again. The original darkroom, last used
in the 1930's, was renovated and is now available for use. The historic greenhouse was
disassembled and all its metal struts and ribs were sand-blasted, repainted and fitted back
into place; over 90% of the original glass was able to be cleaned and reset. The striking
Tower View wall, near collapse before restoration, was fully tuckpointed, with hundreds
of bricks replaced and cleaned. It now appears as it did in 1921. The icehouse also
received 100% tuckpointing, along with coats of fresh paint and replacements of roof
tiles. At the same time, the original laboratories, both large and small, were partially
tuckpointed, with all leaks in the roof being stopped after some 50 years of leaking. The
house, which leaked in numerous places, had all its roofs and dormers repaired, its walls
tuckpointed, and its windows all painted and refitted. In addition, the living and dinning
rooms, and the hardwood floors of the house were restored to their 1917 beauty. In
restoring Tower View to its original grace, Anderson family members were consulted, old
photos and letters from family archives were researched, and the original drawings and
blueprints from the estate were used. Tower View has indeed received a facelift, the first
in its 80-year history, and the beautiful complex is ready for both the new century and
the community.

Restoration Efforts Win Multiple Awards

Due to its restoration efforts of the Tower View Estate
the Anderson Center has received four awards.

The first was the Annual Heritage Preservation Award
of Merit presented on May 18, 2000, by the City of
Red Wing Heritage Preservation Commission.

On November 11, 2000, the Preservation Alliance of
Minnesota presented the Anderson Center with the
2000 Preservation Award. The Anderson Center was
the only recipient to be recognized in all three
categories: restoration, rehabilitation, and
renovation.

The third award was given on May 5, 2004, by the City of Red Wing Heritage Preservation Commission in recognition of the exceptional restoration of the walls of the dining and living rooms of the main residence undertaken by artist Max Cora of Cora Metalworks in over 500 hours of work.

On May 23, 2007, the Center received its fourth award of merit from the Red Wing Heritage Preservation Commission for the restoration, renovation and rehabilitation of the historic 1922 granary, moved to the Center from the childhood home of A.P. Anderson.  The structure currently houses two spacious loft art studios, a printmaking studio and Red Dragonfly Press, press-in-residence of the Anderson Center.

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