Saint Mathias Catholic Church - Hampton

Located in Hampton, Minnesota, St. Mathias Catholic Church was built in 1900, and like most small towns in the surrounding area, was founded by German and Luxembourger immigrants.

It is written in the Book of Acts, that Matthias was chosen as the next apostle to replace the traitor Judas. Saint Matthias lived till 80 A.D..

The Longfellow House

This weeks Historic Home in Minneapolis is 4800 Minnehaha Avenue.

Built in 1907, the home was constructed for Robert F. Jones and originally located at 4001 Minnehaha Parkway East. It was constructed as a 2/3 scale replica of a Colonial house located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that was owned at one time by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The home originally sat on 4.6 acres, part of Longfellow Gardens, a zoo and botanical gardens,which was run by Mr. Jones. When Mr. Jones died in 1934, the park was closed a short four years later. The property was deeded to the city of Minneapolis, which used the house as the Minneapolis public library up until 1967. Over the years, the historic building fell into ruin. It wasn't until 1994 that the house was saved, when the home was moved by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to its current location and renovated by the Kodet Architectural Group.

As part of the Minnehaha Park, including Minnehaha Falls, the Longfellow House is used as an interpretive learning center.

Historic Preservation Commissions

No one likes the government telling them how their home should look, but when it comes to historic homes, many neighbors applaud when the government intervenes. For decades, historic areas have been establishing committees to be watch dogs of historic districts. Here in Minnesota, they are called Historic Preservation Commissions. In other states they are called Architectural Review Boards.

In Florida, where we renovated a 110 year old Queen Anne Victorian, we had to go up in front of a tribunal called the Architectural Review Board. Let's just say, if the home is historic, than any renovations have to keep in the spirit of the home. They are ten times more strict than any commission here in the Twin Cities. Take for instance the 22 original wood windows in the home. Here in the Twin Cities, people can replace their homes with vinyl windows. In Florida, vinyl is not an option. The only thing we could do was replace with wood windows, which by the way, you cannot find at Lowe's. We had to have Pella windows custom make all the windows, especially the 9' floor to ceiling windows. Needless to say, they were not cheap.

Historic Preservation Commissions are a good thing. They allow for some or alot of design control, but how far their reach stretches, depends on the details in the local ordinances. Those that make the laws determine how "historic" a home must remain. Many times, the judgements passed by the HPC can be non-binding, with final approval given by the city. Other times the HPC holds the final say. It all depends on where you live and the local ordinances.

To learn more about local commissions, visit the following websites:

Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission

Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission

Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission

The Monster in Your Basement - the Gravity Furnace

The gravity furnace is also commonly called the Octopus furnace because it has long ducts coming out of the central unit. It can be quite a sight to behold and even scares some buyers the first time they see it. These types of units were installed in homes built in the late 1800's and early 1900's. There are still many homes in Minneapolis and Saint Paul which have this furnace as their heat source. Slowly, home owners are replacing them with more efficient HVAC units, as well as replacing the duct-work throughout the home.

The concept of the Octopus Furnace is that heat rises and cold air falls. Heated air rises through the heat ducts and then the cold air sinks, entering the return air ducts, where it is reheated again. The original fuel source for early models was coal, but many since then have been converted to natural gas or oil. The above diagram is a great example of how it works.

Reasons you might want to replace your Gravity Furnace:

• energy efficiency - gravity fed furnaces are 50% less efficient than a conventional heating system



• most gravity furnaces contain asbestos. Asbestos is not harmful if left untouched, but if you do plan on replacing your gravity furnace, a licensed abatement contractor will most likely seal off the basement and safely remove any hazardous material.



• they take up an enormous amount of space in the basement



• you cannot install a whole house air conditioning system with this type of furnace

I have shown homes to buyers with Gravity Furnaces and many are shocked to see one for the first time. Some even fear purchasing the home, but they are easy to get along with. If you plan on purchasing a home with a Gravity furnace, DO think about replacing one in the near future. It will save you money in the long run.