A street easily overlooked in Saint Paul is Irvine Avenue. It is located “below” Summit Avenue, and you can look up to see the back sides of the most expensive historic homes on Summit. A few great finds are some of the remaining carriage houses of these massive homes.. Some have been saved and converted to single family residences or condo units, but others, like the fantastic ruins pictured above are slowing decaying away.
This old carriage house sits behind 332 Summit Avenue…you can see what it used to look like, as of 1950, from this photo. It is a protected historic structure so any future plan to restore or demolish the building would have to meet Preservation Committee approval.
This weeks feature is not of a home, but of a historic building called
Woodland Terrace in St. Paul.
Located on Dayton Avenue, the row house was built in 1889, supposedly by B.J. Buechner. They were renovated in the 1980s and updated with new mechanicals, etc. The building really is amazing once you get a closer look. The patterned brickwork and small stone carvings throughout, including the arched entry ways, really make the building “pop”. At first glance, the buildings look Richardson Romanesque because of the stone work, but when you look at the gables, balcony design, windows, and roof line, Queen Anne Victorian screams out at you.
There is currently one unit for sale through Coldwell Banker for $645,000. To give you an idea on size, the four level unit has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and around 2700 square feet. Many people compare these units to those found in New England Brownstone row houses.
This weeks Historic Home is located at 489 Grand Hill in St Paul, Minnesota.
The home was built for Carl Schuneman, the owner of Schuneman’s Department Store in downtown Saint Paul. The design was inspired by his wife who wanted to feel like she was back on the East Coast. Allen H. Stem, from the local St Paul firm, Reed and Stem was hired as the architect, who you might recognize as one of the architects of Grand Central Station in New York.
Built in the Tudor Revival style, the architectural details make the home stand out in a neighborhood of Queen Annes. Those details include the steeply pitched gable dormers, the two semi-hexagonal two story bays on the front facade of the home, and the stonework on the outside.
The home is quite large on the inside, having 11 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and five fireplaces. The current owner purchased the home in 1995 and hosts events for the Institute of Vocal Artistry on the main floor, an area that also saw vocal performances by Carl Schuneman’s daughter.
A street easily overlooked in Saint Paul is Irvine Avenue. It is located “below” Summit Avenue, and you can look up to see the back sides of the most expensive historic homes on Summit. A few great finds are some of the remaining carriage houses of these massive homes.. Some have been saved and converted to single family residences or condo units, but others, like the fantastic ruins pictured above are slowing decaying away.
