The Minneapolis Real Estate Blog: Minnesota: Saint Paul: Summit-university

This weeks highlighted historic home is located at 476 Summit Avenue in St. Paul.

Built between 1883-1885, the home was designed by Clarence Johnston for Chauncey Griggs. As you can tell, it is surrounded by large trees, making it very difficult to get a good shot of the home. It is built in the Richardson Romanesque style, a very popular style at the time, at a cost of $35,000.

Returning to St. Paul after fighting in the Civil War, Griggs established a coal and lumber business with James J. Hill, then with R. W. Johnson, and finally with Addison G. Foster. His neighbor at 490 Summit Avenue, Mr. Foster, also had his home designed by Clarence Johnston.

Early photographs were taken of the home around 1888, and a very famous one from 1895 because of the children in the forefront, giving a good representation of period dress. The photos show the original look of the home, before some additions were made. The most notable change to the home is the removal of the front gable around 1940, being replaced by a huge skylight to give more light for its current owners, the St. Paul Gallery and School of Arts. The front porch that wrapped around the home has also been removed, making way for a ramp.

The current owners bought the home in 1982 and have been making many renovations to the home, bringing it back to its original splendor. You can imagine that over the years, many different types of interior design have graced the walls, so it is only understandable what a monumental task it is to restore the home. In 2004, the home was featured in the Summit Hill House Tour.

Some of the home features include "Grand hallways, twelve-foot ceilings on the first floor, majestic fireplaces, and a sweeping 26-foot high staircase... A unique carving of a cockfight adorns the fireplace in the music room and the dining room's white marble mantle is decorated with a geometric serpentine inlay (a symbol of endless happiness) ".

One feature some may not like is the reported haunted house events. Seems the home is surrounded by stories at reported here.

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 Historic Home is 265 Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Built in 1885 for $10,000, the home was designed by C.W. Mould for John Robertson. Designed as a simple Queen Anne Victorian, it has a brick exterior and limestone foundation. You cannot see it from my photo, but there is a tower on the right side of the home. The top of the tower is closed in, but at one time was an open balcony with spectacular views of Summit Avenue and the surrounding homes.

With about 5500 square feet, the home has three stories, and if you know anything about the third stories of these historic homes, then you know they have amazing ceiling heights. The home has only had about five owners during its long life, and the last owners have been stewards for over 40 years. There are original Tiffany light fixtures in the home, as well as the original woodwork and trim. The best room in the home is probably the oval dining room with curved built in buffets. Take a look at the "Fire, Wind, Water" stain glassed windows located at the grand staircase.

I had to opportunity to view the home for a client a few months ago when the home was listed for sale. It is a very beautiful home, in need of many updates and remodeling. I am sure the new owners will have a wonderful time restoring the home to its former splendor. The home had been on the market for over 500 days, with numerous price reductions. It eventually sold December 2007 for $800,000.

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.

  AFTER RENOVATION

This weeks Historic Home in St Paul is 353 Summit Avenue.

Built in 1882 for William Dean, the home "only" cost $15,000 to build. Mr. Dean was a partner for the local wholesale hardware firm, Nicols, Dean, and Gregg, and also sat on the Great Northern Railroad board of directors. Little is known about the architect. A photo exists of the home taken in 1895. Designed as a Queen Anne Victorian, it is a great example of half-timbering.

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.

 BEFORE RENOVATION

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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I post about Twin Cities Historic Homes and Buildings on my Luxury Blog and my Historic Home blog. Check back often for new stories about historic homes in Saint Paul and Minneapolis!

This weeks showcase Historic Home in St Paul is 271 Summit Avenue.

Built in 1882, this home was commissioned by Joshua Sanders, but not as seen. The original home, from my research, was a one and a half story home that cost $5000 to build. When Sanders sold the home in 1887, the new owner, Emerson Peet, added a $7000 addition, which is the current home we see today.

Ernest Sandeen describes this home as a Tuscan Villa. The term is not widely used today for most homes of this style are lumped into the Italianate or Second Empire architectural group. Maybe because the home is simple in its design is one of the reasons it is hard to define. Not too much has changed about the home over the century of its existence. If you look closely at this photo taken in 1888, you can see that the central tower has a third story window in the roof, which has since been removed. Also, the second story porch on the left side of the home has been enclosed.

The current owners have been in the home for some time and the home is currently zoned as apartments.

This weeks Historic Home in St Paul is 353 Summit Avenue.

Built in 1882 for William Dean, the home "only" cost $15,000 to build. Mr. Dean was a partner for the local wholesale hardware firm, Nicols, Dean, and Gregg, and also sat on the Great Northern Railroad board of directors. Little is known about the architect. A photo exists of the home taken in 1895. Designed as a Queen Anne Victorian, it is a great example of half-timbering.

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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If you would like to learn more about Minnesota architecture, visit my blog dedicated soley to Historic Homes and buildings of Minnesota.

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.

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.