Politics & Government

Shoddy Mill Relocation Project Delayed

Plans to relocate the Shoddy Mill and Warehouse from Oak Park Heights to Stillwater have been delayed.

Plans to relocate the Shoddy Mill and Warehouse from Oak Park Heights to Stillwater have been delayed.

MnDOT initially planned on closing Highway 95 and Highway 36 overnight Wednesday, Nov. 7, while crews move the Bergstein Shoddy Mill and Warehouse.

The reason for the delay was not immediately made available. It is unclear when the move will occur.

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UPDATED FROM:

The move is scheduled to occur between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., weather permitting, and is necessary to make way for the new St. Croix Crossing

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During the move, Highway 95 will close between Point Road and the south end of Main Street in Stillwater, and Highway 36 will close between Beach Road and Highway 95. Motorists should follow detour signs.

RELATED: Shoddy Mill: Is Historical Preservation Worth the Cost?

The Shoddy Mill and Warehouse are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The two buildings will be permanently located across from the River Oasis Cafe on the St. Croix riverbank as part of the proposed loop trail in Stillwater. 

The buildings were constructed in 1890 and owned by Moritz and Bertha (Gardner) Bergstein. Inside these buildings, workers made shoddy, a woolen yarn made from used clothing. The shoddy was then shipped by rail from Stillwater to Minneapolis and made into mattresses at a factory owned by Moritz’s brother, Ignatz. 

Two buildings remain from the Bergstein enterprise—a small stone building that contained the mill machine that made the shoddy and a large wood-frame warehouse that stored fabric. 

The city of Stillwater will own and determine the future purpose of the buildings.


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