Milwaukee Avenue Historic Home Walking Tour

Minneapolis Home Tour Celebrates 30 Years of Successful Historic Preservation

September 23, 2007

Noon to 5:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10 in advance/ $15 at door

Tickets will go on sale in late August

Residents of the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District will host their first-ever Historic Milwaukee Avenue Home Tour. A celebration of the 30th anniversary of this remarkable preservation effort, the tour offers an opportunity for visitors to learn about a unique urban district in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis and see inside charming workmen’s cottages, many dating from the 1880s.

At least seven homes will be open for touring, representing a range of housing types that were restored, rehabilitated or designed as infill in the 1970s-era project. All are in close walking distance along a car-free pedestrian mall, also a notable part of the preservation effort. Proceeds from the tour will benefit the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and the Seward Neighborhood Group.

Purchase tickets by calling the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota at (651) 293-9047.

About the Milwaukee Avenue preservation effort: Thirty years ago, the City of Minneapolis planned to demolish this area in west Seward as part of its plan to improve urban housing stock. Visionary neighbors, many of whom still live on or near the block, fought to save these homes, preserving many of them. In 1977, the avenue earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its status as a district of working-class homes that commonly housed immigrant laborers.

Historic Architecture - Second Empire

For those of you who follow my historic home series, you should know by now that I have a passion for old homes and their history. Each week I post a photo of a home on Summit Avenue in St Paul with a little bit of information about it. We have many architectural styles here in the Twin Cities, with Minneapolis and St Paul having the most historic real estate in the entire state.
So because there are so many styles that other parts of the country may not have, I thought I might start another series on the architectural styles of these homes. The first entry is called:

Second Empire

Built between 1855-1885

The most distinguishing feature of this style is the Mansard (dual-pitched hipped) roof, with dormer windows on a very steep slope. If you look under the the eaves of the roofs, you will see large, heavy decorative brackets adorning the area. On a historic home, these were made out of wood and are very expensive to replicate.

I have provided four photos of homes in Minneapolis, St Paul, and Red Wing. They all show a different subtype of the the homes and are labeled as follows, asymmetrical, simple square, towered, and townhouse.

Some of the homes have very simple windows, but others can be more elaborate with carved hoods as shown in the towered home photo. Another common element with windows is to come in pairs of two or three. You can also see that all windows in the roof line are arched above.

Some History

At the time, the Second Empire look was considered very stylish and modern. (mostly because it looked French). The roof was named after a 17th century French architect Francois Mansart and used heavily in France during the time of Napoleon III (1852-1870). When France fell out of favor in the late 1800s, so did the style.

One great thing about the style was the use of the third story attic, provided by the shape of the roof and the windows for light.

The first home shown is located at 649 Summit Avenue and is the only surviving Second Empire home built on Summit Avenue. One of the most elaborate built on Summit was the the Norman Kittson house, now demolished. The site is now the home of the St Paul Cathedral. The J.E. Moore house, also demolished is another great example of the style.

This is one of the most prominent homes in Red Wing, located just 40 minutes from the Twin Cities. The tower can be seen from miles away as you drive into town.

One of the only surviving examples of Second Empire Town Homes in the Twin Cities. Originally built as 8 multi-story units, they were recently converted to 16 condominiums.

Summit Avenue Historic Home in St Paul

This weeks Showcase historic home is 495 Summit Avenue



Built in 1881 by Cyrus B. Thurston, this home stands out on a beautiful corner lot and is one of the only homes on the avenue with an original date panel built into one of the gables. Originally the home was painted white and had a beautiful full facade front porch that slightly wrapped around the western corner of the home. You can easily see the original outline of the roof, around the only remaining portion of the porch.

The architectural design of the home is Victorian Queen Anne and was the first built on the Avenue in this style. Common elements that the home has with other Queen Anne homes are the numerous gables, dormers, and high pitched roof. The home also has bay windows and porches that break up the surface of the walls, giving the home a unique feel that only a Queen Anne can give. Unfortunately the architect of the home is unknown. The home boasts approximately 5200 finished square feet, has two stories + finished attic space, 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths, and sits on a little less than half an acre.