Monday July 6th, there was a dedication of two park benches in front of the old Kasson School building in honor of Jon and Dee Tollefson for their efforts to help preserve the old building. The two benches each have a plaque with the names engraved on them. The Kasson Alliance for Restoration, (KARE) hosted the ceremony with a brief speech and a poem remembering Jon. Jon Tollefson graduated from Kasson High School in 1948 and spent his life with the family business in town. KM Telecom recently celebrated 125 years in business. Jon served on the KARE board and also was very active in the restoration of the 1895 Water Tower.
KARE does have a wall of honor planned in the old School Building to thank those who have donated to the preservation of the building. The building now is on the Minnesota Register of Historic places along with the old stone water tower built in 1895. There is a fundraiser for the 1918 Kasson School Building planned on Saturday, September 19th at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in the Beer Garden building from 5 to 8pm. It will be a wine, beer, whiskey and chocolate tasting including a silent auction. There will be also be appetizers and music by Neon Arrival. Tickets available at Mantorville Square or you can call 507-259-1775 or 651-380-1246.
The Old Kasson School building was built after the original one burned to the ground in 1917. It caught fire after ignited by some kids playing with fireworks. The New school was designed by Nels S. Jacobson Jr. of Owatonna. It was built during 1917 to 1918 and was put into use on December 5, 1918. The school building served as the only school in Kasson until 1958 when the district merged with Mantorville and it became the Elementary School Building. It was used until 2005, when the city acquired the building. In 2006 the city looked into converting the property into a city hall and police station. After the referendum failed it was to be demolished, only to be spared, when the KARE was formed and sued to halt the city from razing the structure. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 2007. It has been considered for use as apartments, a library and a community center but not approved.
In 2011 a developer proposed the site for a senior housing project but the plan failed from insufficient funding and citizen interest prevailed and in 2014 the building was sold for $240,000 to a limited partnership with KARE as the general partner. Forty people donated $90,000 toward purchasing the building. Two more attempts to develop as a senior housing failed for lack of funding. A Legacy Grant was secured for $87,000 to repair the terra cotta and bricks on the face of the building and completed in 2025. They are currently looking for a roofing grant to fix the leaky roofs on the building.
ODE TO JON TOLLEFSON
We gather together on this special day,
To celebrate and honor in our humbling way,
A man known as Jon, a stabling force.
Who gave it his all without any remorse.
His words good as gold on that you could depend.
His devotion to God, to family and to friend.
A remarkable man devoted to his community,
His service to his country, his love of its history.
He loved this old building, the contributions it had made.
In the education of many children from first to twelfth grade.
Remembering his forefathers who had lived here before.
Who knew the value of education and a good school to explore.
Recalling the fact that this school was first of its kind.
Her architecture and design nowhere seen at that time.
Three separate sections each connected with two floors.
In the year nineteen eighteen they opened her doors.
After one hundred and eight years of still standing tall,
Don’t you think Jon is wondering why we have yet to install,
Updated devices, technology now unique to these times,
Explore all possibilities and spend some of our dimes.
To once again utilize this beautiful structure
To delve in and remodel and give it some culture.
To fill it to capacity with families galore,
And once again make it possible to open her doors!
Written with humility in honor of Jon: by Virginia Giese
