Historic Restoration

We at Watson-Forsberg particularly enjoy historic restoration. There is a beauty in restoring architectures from years gone by. A redevelopment of the historic Ripley Memorial Hospital, Ripley Gardens is a mixed-income development providing rental and home ownership opportunities for households at very-low, low, and moderate-income levels. Located at Penn Avenue North and Queen Avenue (301 Penn Ave. N.), the entire site is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Minneapolis Historic Register.

Originally built in 1910, the Redeemer Church, was architected by William Gray Purcell to undertake the Social Gospel and seek a "new way of living together". As with all our historic restorations we seek to understand and restore the original purpose and vision of each building. With careful and exacting hands we take part to renew their vision. When the current congregation acquired the Redeemer Missionary Baptist Church in 1988, it was in great need of renovation and repair. After a decade of raising money, planning, and renovating, the project was completed in September 2000. Improvements included new plumbing, wiring, and heating systems, window repairs, restoration of original wood trim and pews, creation of an immersion pool for baptisms, restoration of the organ, and a new kitchen, restrooms, and multipurpose rooms. The church was also made handicap accessible. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Watson-Forsberg has experience working with the needs of preservation committees and the National Park Service. We are proud that our restoration work has won national preservation awards.