This weeks historic home in St Paul is 301 Summit Avenue.

Built in 1905 by George Gardner at a price of $28,000 this Georgian Revival home was designed by Thomas Holyoke. Holyoke was the chief draftsman for the infamous architect Cass Gilbert on the state capital building and also built five homes on Summit Avenue. Another home was originally built on this site in 1882 in the Queen Anne style, but it was moved around the corner to 107 Farrington in 1903.

The home has changed very little since construction. I was able to find a photo of the home as it appeared in 1948, before it became a German cultural center. The original owner, Mr. Gardner, lived in the house up until 1946 when the St. Paul Priory took possession. It wasn’t until 1966 when the current owners bought the home for $60,000 by selling bonds, and it became the Volksfest Kultur Haus. In 1990, the organization changed its name to the Germanic American Institute.

I have had the privilege of viewing the home during a Historic House Tour and the home is amazing. There are two grand parlors on the main floor, each flanking a central staircase. The basement is fully utilized and a good place to socialize. German quotes and sayings abound throughout the house. Even though it is no longer used residentially, the Institute fits in nicely on Summit Avenue. There is even a carriage house in the back that looks like a small home, but has around 2000 square feet. If the property were to come up for sale, it would most likely fetch well over $1 Million.

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Around 1900, the home was altered beyond recognition of its original Queen Anne style. Below is a photo of what the home had looked like up until 2005.

As you can see, it looks nothing like the beautiful Queen Anne of 1882. The front gable and chimneys are the only remaining pieces visual to the eye that haven’t changed. In 2005, a very expensive renovation was begun, with the owners wanting to bring back the facade of the original home. After a complete inside/outside renovation of the main house, and an exterior renovation of the carriage house, the home recently sold for $1.7 Million with Edina Realty, and photos of the home are still available via a virtual tour. The home has over 7000 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, and for one simple word, is stunning.

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Minneapolis and St Paul have thousands of historic homes. As a real estate agent who’s speciality is marketing historic homes, I jump at the chance to explore any of the old houses. My readers know that I write a showcase piece for one historic home a week, trying to give as much information I can about the house and it’s history. Sometimes, though, the history changes and updates occur. I love nothing more than to hear a historic home is being renovated back to it’s original splendor.

If you have a historic home that I have showcased, and have additional information that will benefit the post, or see some incorrect information, please do not hesitate to contact me. While some people might not want to offend by pointing out a mistake, I would rather know the real story. I cannot keep up with changes unless you let me know.

If you would like to have your home showcased on my blog, I would love to talk with you and tour your home. Historic homes are my passion and I love to keep their history alive by writing about them for the public to enjoy.

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This weeks showcase Historic Home is 340 Summit Avenue.

Built in 1894 by Thomas Scott, this beautiful mansion was designed by Allen Stem at a cost of $40,000. Constructed out of local limestone, the house is a great example of the Italian Beaux Arts Style that was popular in St Paul at the end of the century. The decorative garland at the roof line is one of the dead give aways, as well as the symmetrical facade, flat roof, and smooth masonry stone exterior.

This grand home on Summit overlooks St Paul and the Mississippi River and has a wonderful panoramic view. The area where the old carriage house use to stand is still there. Built as a single family home, it was converted to eight apartments around 1950. The current owners bought the home in 2005 for $1.45 Million, desiring to return it to its previous single family grandeur, and have completed some major updates, including turning the front salon in to a living room and kitchen. When these homes were first built, the kitchens were located in the basements, where servants prepared the meals. Food was delivered via dumb waiter to a butler’s pantry next to the dining room. It was believed that the smell of food cooking would be unpleasant to visiting guests.

When you enter the home you are greeted to black and white marble tiles and a gorgeous marble staircase. Kids would have a wonderful time playing hide & seek as there are multiple stairways all the way from the basement to the third floor. A mirrored ballroom takes up the third floor, with bedrooms that were originally for the housemaids. It is truly a beautiful home that takes the breath away.

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This weeks showcase Historic Home is 339 Summit Avenue.

Built in 1898 by Crawford Livingston at a cost of $14,000, the home was designed by the famous Cass Gilbert. With a Gothic / Medieval design, there is no other home quite like it in the area. Whereas most homes have a distinct porch, this home is designed with the second story coming forward to be flush with the lower story. The arches are very beautifully done with the short Corinthian columns, and the diamond shaped spandrels are very unique.

Originally built as a single family residence, the home is presently divided into 5 condominiums, each having two bedrooms and somewhere between 1400-1800 square feet. The last condo unit sold in 2002 for $275,000. If the home were to sell today as one building, it would fetch well over $1 Million.

I found two old photos of the home. The first was taken in 1902, the home being the second from the left. You can really see how the streetscape looked at the turn of the 20th Century. The second is from 1973, during winter. The home thankfully has not been altered on the exterior throughout it’s lifetime.

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This weeks featured Historic Home in St Paul is 749 Summit Avenue.

Built in 1888 by the famous Clarence Johnston and in collaboration with William Willcox, the home was commissioned by The Wheeler Family and cost around $12,000 to build.

At first glance, you might think the home was built in the Richardson Romanesque style, mostly impart to the rough cut stone on the exterior walls. However it lacks any of the arches that define that style. Instead, it fits rightly into the a Queen Anne Victorian “masonry” category. The tower on the left has been built into the home and does not rise higher than the third story ridge line.

The home has been wonderfully restored to its former beauty. The wood work alone inside is something that could never be duplicated today without great cost to the home owner. At approximately 6500 square feet, the home has six bedroom, 5 baths, and a detached two-car garage.

This past June, the home sold for $1.475 Million. Hard to believe a home would sell for that much and not have air conditioning. But many of these old homes still do not have the luxury as the cost to install, without disrupting the historical integrity of the home, is extremely high.

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The doors are one of a kind and help give it my pet name for the home,”The Witches House“. There is just something mystical about the details in the home. For instance the tower roof looks like a witch’s black hat, at least to me.

This beautiful Summit Avenue home was recently sold for $1.09 Million. It has approximately 5700 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and also a third story apartment. Wood carvings and stained glass windows add interest to the home, as do the large dining room and parlor rooms original to the home.

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This weeks featured Historic Home is 285 Summit Avenue.

In 1882, a two story Second Empire Home was built on this site by Henry Rice, a local congressman and US Senator. He owned the home until it was purchased by Fredrick Fogg in 1894. In 1899, A. H. Stem was contracted by Mr. Fogg to remodel the existing home, and what emerged was a Colonial Revival with a high-end twist.

The siding on the home seen in this photo taken in 1973 is not original to the home. But thankfully, since then, the owners have removed the aluminum siding and revealed/restored the original wood beneath. The home also has many architectural details worth noting. Doric fluted columns support the porch, with wreath molding details above. The front windows are very interesting as they are slightly curved, with transom windows above three others. The elaborate doorway on the second floor, as well as the main entrance, give the home an upscale feel of a typical Colonial Revival home.

Currently a single family home, the last recorded sale was in 2002 for $1.25 Million. With a little over 8000 square feet, the home has about 7 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.

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