The Jeffris Family Foundation of Janesville, Wisconsin, is dedicated to preserving important historic buildings in small and mid-sized communities across the Midwest. Through its Jeffris Heartland Fund, the foundation offers matching grants to support advanced planning.

The $20,000 grant awarded to Turner Hall will fund a Historic Structure Report (HSR), a document that is used as a guide for future restoration and capital project. A HSR will combine architectural history, archival research, and detailed building analysis to assess conditions, prioritize repairs, and recommend treatment strategies.

“Turner Hall has been at the heart of New Ulm for more than 160 years,” Daniel Hoisington, Board President of New Ulm Turner Hall, said. “This grant helps us do the careful homework that a building like this deserves. With the Historic Structure Report in hand, we can make smart, phased decisions that protect Turner Hall for future generations.”

“Jeffris grants are competitive and focused on places of real historic significance,” Turner Hall Executive Director Andrea Boettger said. “Their support is a strong vote of confidence in Turner Hall’s importance–not only to New Ulm’s story, but to the broader history of German-American life in the Midwest.”

The $20,000 matching grant will be used by Turner Hall to compete a Historic Structure Report (HSR), a document that is used as a guide for future restoration and capital project. It is an essential first step in Turner Hall’s long-range preservation plans.

Turner Hall, founded in 1856, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is home to Minnesota’s oldest bar and gymnastics program. The Rathskeller restaurant is home to many historic murals. The HSR will address the full property, including structural needs, accessibility, mechanical systems, Turner Hall Park, and the preservation of character-defining historic features.  

Boettger said she and the board had great aspirations for Turner Hall. There are a number of capital projects they would like to complete in the future, including renovation of the third floor and creating new education and activity spaces. The Jeffris Family Foundation requires an approved HSR before considering larger capital campaign challenge grants, making the HSR an essential first step in Turner Hall’s long-range preservation plans.

Boettger said it would take around six months to complete the HSR.

The $20,000 grant from Jeffris Heartland Fund does require a local $20,000 match. Community members and friends of Turner Hall are invited to participate through gifts of all sizes over the coming months.

“This is truly a community project,” Hoisington added. “Our founders built the first Turner Hall. Now it’s our turn to step up and ensure this landmark remains strong, safe, and welcoming for the next 100 years.”

The HSR will address the full Turner Hall property, including structural needs, accessibility, mechanical systems, Turner Hall Park, and the preservation of character-defining historic features such as the murals in the Rathskeller restaurant.

Details about the fundraising campaign and the Historic Structure Report project will be posted at www.newulmturnerhall.org and shared on Turner Hall’s social media channels as the work moves forward.

Turner Hall’s historic Rathskeller restaurant during lunch Friday. The $20,000 matching grant for the HSR will address the full Turner Hall property, including structural needs, accessibility, mechanical systems, Turner Hall Park, and the preservation of character-defining historic features such as the murals in the Rathskeller restaurant.